Destiny
by missthang06
Summary: He told her Coffee doesn't heal a broken heart. Tequila does. And one night stands. Eventually Lit and Java Junkie. Now Complete!
1. Coffee Doesn't Cure A Broken Heart

**A/N:** I know I have other fics to update but this idea just popped into my head and I had to write it (instead of doing my 10 page paper so you should feel loved). So, it is complete AU and very OOC. It may be more in character in future chapters but right now it's not. But I promise you will love it. So, I hope you enjoy and please review.

**Background Info:** Rory and Logan have graduated from Yale and are engaged. Jess never came to Stars Hollow in season two, instead Luke visits him and Liz and gets there life together. So, Rory has never met Jess. Luke and Lorelai are dating. Otherwise, everything in the show has happened.

* * *

Rory walks into her hotel room with a bottle of wine in tow. She was beaming, full of happiness. She rarely had the time to spend a night all alone with Logan but tonight she had scheduled the time for him. The couple was spending the week in Philadelphia. Although it was for Rory's next article in the _Harvard Gazette_, it felt like a vacation for them.

Rory places the bottle of wine on the kitchen table and walks into the living room. "Logan!" she yells. She waited a minute but didn't hear a reply. _That's funny, he should be here_, Rory thought. She decided to check the bedroom in case he was sleeping. But once she opened the door to their bedroom, Rory wished he wasn't there. Rory was horrified to see Logan making love to another girl in their bed.

Rory was hurt and angered. "You bastard!" She yelled at him, slammed the door shut and went into the living room. By now, tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't believe this was happening. He was the love of her life and he cheated on her. She heard footsteps run after.

"Rory…" Logan started but Rory couldn't control her tears and continued to look at floor. "Rory, come on, let me explain."

"No…I don't need you to explain…I don't want to hear it." Rory managed to say through her inconsolable sobs.

"Ror…"

"No Logan. Don't." Rory took off her engagement ring, took one last look at it, and threw it at him. She jumped off the couch and ran out the room.

Rory finally reached the streets of Philadelphia. She gasped and took in as much fresh air she could because she was still crying. She didn't know what to do but she needed to do something. _Coffee! That's it_, Rory thought and began her search for a coffee shop. Rory spotted a little coffee shop down the block. She walked to it and went inside to get her coffee fix.

Ten minutes and two cups of coffee later, Rory had finally calmed down. She was still upset, angry, and hurt but she was no longer crying. _What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this_? Rory tried to analyze the situation but couldn't comprehend it. Her thoughts were interrupted by a noisy customer who entered the coffee shop.

"Hey Randy, can I get my usual to go?" The customer asked. He glanced to right of him and noticed Rory. He was instantly overwhelmed by her beauty and her piercing blue eyes. Then, he noticed her mascara streaked cheeks. "Are you ok?" he asked her.

"No," Rory sobbed and tears began streaming back down her face.

"Whoa, I'm sorry. I didn't…hey Randy, get this girl whatever she wants and put it on my tab." He then picked up his order and headed to the door. Before he could leave he heard the sobbing girl once more.

"What did I do wrong?" Rory asked.

"What? I don't know. What happened?" he asked as he walked over to her table and took a seat.

"My boyfriend, actually my fiancé, cheated on me."

"He did?"

"Yea, just now. I caught him in bed, my bed, sleeping with another woman," Rory said with a shaky voice.

"Well, it sounds like he is the one with the problem. He's the one who fucked up."

"Really?" Rory asked with pleading eyes.

"Yea, I mean look at you, you're a beautiful woman. You don't deserve to be treated like that."

"I guess not," Rory said, her words trailing off.

"You don't. Don't worry about him. He's a dick."

A few minutes later, the stranger continued, "I'm Jess. What's your name?"

"Rory."

"So, Rory do you want to get out of here?"

"What?" Rory looked at him like he was crazy. She desperately wanted to go but her rationality told her not to. "I don't even know you."

"Maybe not but you can get to know me."

"I don't think so…"

"So what if we don't know each other. What I do know is that coffee will not cure a broken heart."

"Have you had your heart broken before?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"I just do. Trust me."

"But I don't…" Rory began before being cut off.

"Know you. Yea I got the picture. Come on, I know of this party. It'll take your mind off things and cure your broken heart I promise."

Jess got up and extended his hand to Rory. She willingly took it. _What I am doing_? she thought. It didn't matter though. Rory was willing to do anything to take her mind of Logan. _Jess just might cure my broken heart_, she thought. She then hopped into the passenger seat of his car and drove away with him.

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Please review!! Love it or hate it? More action to come in the next chapter! 


	2. Tequila Cures A Broken Heart

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. I love them. And I couldn't resist not updating with another chapter. Sorry, the characters were OOC. And they still are but I tried to explain the reason why in this chapter. Please Review and I hope you enjoy it!!

* * *

Rory sat in the passenger's seat of Jess' car. She felt uncomfortable. _What am I doing? This is so unlike me. I don't just go places with a total stranger! _Rory had a thousand thoughts running through her mind but she ignored them. She was supposed to be getting away from everything and letting lose, not analyzing the situation. Rory heard a familiar Clash song start blaring from the radio.

"Oh, I love this song!" Rory said with excitement, trying to ease the awkwardness.

"Yea, they're one of my favorite bands."

"Mine too." Rory tried to ignore those pesky thoughts again but couldn't. "Why are you doing this for me? Why do you care if my heart is broken? Or is this one of your secret schemes to pick up girls?" Rory rambled on.

"I'll take you back to the coffee shop if you want."

"No…I was…curious...I mean I'm grateful and all…." Rory stammered before being interrupted.

"Look, I've seen my mom's heart broken enough in the past. You're a pretty girl and you don't deserve it."

"Oh…thank you."

"I can ask you the same question. Do you normally go around jumping in any guy's car?"

"No! I don't know…it just felt natural…and…I do need to get away…"

"Hey, I was just kidding."

"Oh," Rory replied softly and rode in silence for the rest of the way.

* * *

An hour later, Rory and Jess arrived at the party a little after nine, which was being held in a quaint apartment complex. Jess had informed Rory that the party was going to be mostly composed of his drunken friends and she was going to be bombarded by them. But he reassured her that they throw the best parties in Philadelphia. Rory and Jess entered what he termed "the penthouse suite."

"Jess! Guys Jess is here!" an already drunk guy yelled to no one in particular. He stumbled over his own feet as he made his way over to them. "Jess, you made it…with a very pretty lady may I add!" he yelled again.

"Chris, Rory, Rory, Chris," Jess introduced them. "He'll forget who you are later, don't worry about it," Jess whispered to Rory. Rory chuckled a little.

"So, Rory, are you and Jess dating, cause he really needs to get laid."

"Chris, shut up! No we're not dating. We're just friends."

"Yea, I just broke up with my boyfriend, actually my fiancé," Rory said with a sad expression on her face.

"Oh, well in that case…"

"Chris, leave her alone," Jess warned.

"I'm just messing around. Here wait a sec," Chris said before leaving Jess and Rory.

"I'm sorry," Jess said whispering to Rory again so she could hear him.

A few minutes later, Chris returned with three shot glasses in tow: one for Rory, Jess, and himself. He handed Rory hers and Rory asked, "What is it?"

"Tequila."

"Tequila will definitely cure anything you have," Jess replied to Rory.

"Here's to Rory and living the single life," Chris said. Rory watched as Chris and Jess downed their shots. Rory thought back on the night's earlier events and thought _Might as well have some enjoyment,_ and downed hers as well.

She handed her empty shot glass to Chris and said to Jess, "One more shot." Jess smirked at her and led her to the beverages.

* * *

An hour and several shots later, Rory and Jess stumbled through the apartment looking for a place to sit down. For the past hour, Rory had completely forgotten about Logan and their previous history. Rory was too busy taking shot after shot because she lost playing Kings. She was enjoying the night, meeting new people, and letting her past go. Plus, she was with Jess. As the night went on, Rory realized she actually had a lot in common with Jess. They both liked the same type of music, books, and movies. Rory tripped over the leg of the sofa and stumbled before using the wall to regain her composure.

"Are you ok?" Jess asked before bursting out with laughter.

"Yea…I'm…fine…I…promise," Rory managed to stammer through her own bursts of laughter. She turned around, resting her back against the wall for support. Once her laughter subsided, she asked, "So?" It was a simple question, one that was supposed to generate a conversation.

"So?" Jess mimicked stepping closer to Rory so there was hardly any space between them.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Rory asked giggling.

"Maybe. Is it working?"

"Maybe," Rory said imitating him. Jess leaned his face in closer to Rory and she instantly closed her eyes, waiting for the perfect moment. Then, it happened. Their lips finally touched a soft, gentle kiss. Rory didn't know why but she opened her mouth, allowing Jess' tongue to enter and for the kiss to deepen. Rory and Jess' tongues intertwined together as one. Rory ran her fingers through Jess' hair while he played with her sides.

Jess finally pulled away from the kiss. "Let's leave. We can go to my place."

"Sure," Rory replied. Jess grabbed Rory's hand and they weaved their way through the crowd, down the stairs, and outside to Jess car.

"Wait, we can't go anywhere like this. We're drunk. We can't drive," Rory protested to Jess.

"Oh, don't worry; I just live across the street."

"Oh," Rory replied. She grabbed Jess' hand again as he led her across the street. Once they reached the other side, he fumbled with the keys for a short while before opening the door.

Rory walked inside and marveled at her surroundings, while Jess closed the door. "Jess, this is a bookstore."

"I know. I live upstairs."

"Upstairs. You live above a bookstore?" Rory asked with confusion.

"Yea, I own the bookstore."

"Oh, well, I love books," Rory said in a giddy voice.

"Well then, we're the perfect match," Jess said with a smirk on his face.

"Looks like it," Rory replied.

Jess stepped closer to Rory, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her passionately. Rory welcomed the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jess led them upstairs to his apartment, while they continued to kiss. Jess managed to find the door to his apartment but had trouble opening the door. Once the door was opened, Jess twirled him and Rory around so he could lock the door. By now, the make out session had heated up. Rory tugged at the bottom of Jess' shirt and took it off. Jess followed suit, pulling Rory's shirt off too. Rory jumped into Jess arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. Jess held Rory in his arms and led them into the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind them. Jess closed the bedroom door behind, where he and Rory spent the remaining of the night at.

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Review please!! Love it or hate it? Oh, and I promise this will not be a baby fic...it's an overdone plot line. 


	3. Regret

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews. I must admit I loved drunk Rory last chapter so hopefully she'll return in future chapters. Anways, this chapter is kinda long (I just have so much to say). And it's kinda boring, mostly a filler chapter. But it is nonetheless neccessary because it contains important info. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. Please review!! (even if you hate it).

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Rory's eyes fluttered open but she quickly shut them again to prevent the sunshine from entering. _Oh God, my head hurts_, Rory thought. She opened her eyes once more and forced them to stay open this time. She looked at the night stand to see what time it was but quickly noticed that it wasn't the hotel's or hers. Rory bolted up in the bed and say the clothes that trailed the pathway to the bedroom. Rory then turned to look at Jess, who was still sleeping. _Oh no, oh no. This can't be happening. I must be dreaming. I'm going to go back to sleep and wake up in Logan's arms_, Rory thought. That's when everything hit her like a ton of bricks; all the memories came rushing back to her. Logan had cheated on her and Jess was her "knight in shining armor." _He definitely took things off my mind_, Rory thought. Then she started thinking, _I can't be this way. I can't just sleep with random people and have random flings_. Rory carefully slipped out of the covers so she wouldn't disturb Jess. She managed to find her strewn clothes, slipped them on, and left the bookstore. She flagged down a taxi and took it back to the hotel. Luckily, she had convinced Logan to let them take her car. She didn't care about her clothes and make up that was upstairs in the room. She just wanted to get far away from Philadelphia as soon as possible. So, when the cab reached the hotel, Rory jumped directly into driver's seat and left for Stars Hollow.

* * *

The entire ride home, Rory kept replaying last night's events. She was upset that Logan had cheated on her but she was just as upset at herself for having a one night stand with Jess, a complete stranger. She needed to wallow; she needed her mom; and she needed coffee. Rory finally reached the diner and let out an exasperated sigh of relief. She shakily entered the diner.

"Luke! Luke! I need coffee!"

"You know, you're getting more like your mother every day."

"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment." Rory walked over to the table Lorelai was sitting at. "Hey mom," Rory said in low spirited tone.

"Offspring! What are you doing home so early? How was Philadelphia?" Lorelai asked eager to find out all the details.

"Oh mom it was terrible." Luke placed a mug of coffee in front of Rory. "Thanks Luke. Mom, Logan cheated on me," Rory said before she began sobbing again. She hated being such an emotional wreck but she couldn't help. She loved him.

"Oh sweetie what happened?"

"I caught him in bed with another woman. So, I broke off the engagement and…" Rory wanted to tell her about Jess but now wasn't the time or the place. Plus, she didn't want to look like a slut. "And I left as soon as I could," Rory continued.

"Aw, I'm so sorry. We need to wallow. Movie night at my place."

"No mom, that's ok…"

"No protesting." Lorelai got up from the table and walked over to Luke. She threw her arms around his neck and Luke returned the gesture by placing his arms around her waist. "Rory and I are having a girls' day so I'll meet you back at our place."

"Ok, have fun," Luke said and then lightly kissed Lorelai on the lips before the girls walked out of the diner.

* * *

"Jess! Jess get your ass out of the bed! It's nearly twelve!" Chris called out to Jess. Jess awoke with a similar headache that Rory had.

"How did you get in here?"

"The door was unlocked."

"Huh? I thought I locked it last night to keep you out!" Jess said, raising his voice at the last part. He didn't realize that Rory had left and unlocked the door on her way out. "So, what do you want?"

"I wanted to see how you felt this morning. That was a lot of Tequila we wasted last night. But it looks like you feel alright. I mean you did get laid after all."

At that moment, Jess suddenly recalled the previous night we Rory. He rolled over on his back and looked at the place in his bed where Rory had previously been. "Damn!"

"What?" Chris asked clearly confused.

"She's gone. Rory's gone. I don't know her number or last name or anything."

"Ouch! That sucks!"

Jess climbed out of bed, regretting not getting at least her last name. He definitely wanted to see her again but it was too late now. "Whatever. I gotta pack and get ready so get out."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Connecticut for a while. I'll probably be staying with my Uncle Luke but I'm not sure yet."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I need inspiration for my next book and he inspired me for the first. You know by helping my mom get her life on track and pointing us in the right direction. I figured he could do it again. Now that you know everything in my personal life…get out."

Chris mumbled a "bye" to Jess and slammed the door on his way out. Jess pushed all the thoughts out of his head and began to pack his things.

* * *

Lorelai was fixing the junk food for their movie marathon in her new kitchen. Luke had just recently bought and repaired the old Twikham house and Lorelai was very excited about it. Even though she didn't cook, it was still _their_ place which meant a lot to her. "So, we have the basic food groups of junk food. Which movie do you want to watch first?"

Rory looked at Lorelai guilty for what she was about to say. "Mom, I really appreciate all this, I really do but I have to go."

"What? I don't understand."

"Mom, Logan is still in Philadelphia so I'm going to go pack up my things at our apartment before he gets back. I can't and don't want to run into him," Rory said with a sad tone.

"So, are you moving back here?"

"Yea, just until I can I find my own place."

"That's fine. You're always welcome," Lorelai told Rory as Rory was gathering her things to leave. "I love you kiddo."

"I love you too mom."

Rory got into her car and headed for her and Logan's apartment for what she thought would be the last time.

* * *

Rory took a deep breath as she prepared to unlock the door of her and Logan's apartment. _Just get your things and get out. It'll be over really quick_, Rory told herself. She hated being there, seeing all of their things, pictures, and the memories rushing back to her. She tried to hold them back but she kept reliving the past five years: their first date, anniversaries and birthdays, and Logan's proposal. She loved him but she needed to do this as quickly as possible. She finally unlocked the door and stepped inside the apartment closing the door behind. She let out a sigh of relief. The hardest part was over. Rory walked into the living room but was startled at what she found there.

"Logan, what are you doing here?"

"Well, it is my apartment," Logan said.

"Of course. I'm sorry, I'll just be a minute," Rory said a little flustered. She turned to head into the bedroom but she became suddenly aware of her surroundings. The entire living room was decorated with lit candles and rose petals. There was soft music playing in the background, a song Rory recognized but couldn't make out the lyrics. She looked at Logan and opened her mouth to speak but Logan stopped her.

"No, listen Ace. I'm so, so sorry for everything. It was a huge mistake, one that will never happen again. I was just having a couple drinks at the bar waiting for you to get back and things got carried away. You know how I get when I drink."

"That's no excuse Logan."

"I know, I know. I'm a jerk, a complete asshole for cheating on and I'm sorry. I'm sorry Ace. You have no idea how bad I feel."

"Well, you have no idea how I felt. To see my fiancé cheating on me," Rory said with tears streaming down her face. She tried to hold them back but it was no use now.

"I know and I'm sorry. Like I said it was a huge mistake and will never happen again. Please, just give me one more chance."

"It's not that simple Logan. You cheated on me!"

"Rory, I can't imagine life without you. You have been my everything for the past five years. Five years Rory. I love you and will never stop loving. No other girl would even come close to your comparison. And I know you probably think all of this is bullshit but it isn't. I mean every word of it," Logan pleaded with Rory. Logan then dropped to one knee and began talking again. "Rory Gilmore, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Logan asked pulling Rory's ring back out.

"I…I…" Rory stammered through sobs.

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**A/N:** Sorry, I couldn't resist leaving you in a cliffhanger. Next chapter will be better: Rory's answer, more drama, and a special guest appearance of Jess in Stars Hollow. Please Review!! 


	4. Surprises! And Second Chances

**A/N:** Once again thanks for reading and reviewing. I must say that this is my favorite story so far. I hope yall enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoy writing it. Flashbacks are _italicized_. So on with the chapter...

* * *

"What!" Lorelai screamed into the phone. "Rory, how could you?"

"I know Mom. But I love him. I've been dating Logan for the past five years. It's hard to just stop loving someone after five years," Rory pleaded into the phone after explaining to her mom why she didn't come home the night before.

"_Will you marry me?" Logan repeated to Rory. _

"_Logan, I can't. I can't marry you. You cheated on me. I can't trust you. I don't even know who you are anymore."_

"_Ace, I told you it was a mistake and it'll never happen again."_

"_I know but that doesn't change the fact that it happened. You still cheated on me."_

"_Rory, I love you. I'll do anything to prove that to you."_

"_I'm not marrying you Logan."_

"_Well, at least give me a chance. Give me one more chance to make things right, to prove my love to you, and that you can trust me."_

_Rory looked into Logan's eyes, remembering everything from their past: the ups and downs. Logan was still on his knees, hands cupped, pleading with Rory. Despite everything, Rory knew Logan was capable of being a great boyfriend and possibly husband. Somehow, she still loved him._

"_One more chance Logan," Rory said. Logan was ecstatic and softly kissed Rory as a thank you._

"Rory? Rory?" Lorelai called in a sing song voice. Lorelai's words interrupted Rory's flashback. "Rory, did you hear me or am I talking to wall, on a telephone, which looks really stupid."

"Oh, sorry mom. What did you say?"

"I said that Jess, Luke's nephew, is coming to stay with us for a while and Luke really wants you two to meet."

"Oh, of course. What time?"

"He is supposed to be arriving around five."

"Ok, well, I should be done with this article by then."

"Ok see you then."

"Bye mom," Rory said into phone before hanging up. Rory swiveled around in her chair and began typing her article on her laptop.

* * *

"What do you think he'll be like?" Lorelai asked Rory. The two were in Rory's room gossiping over Jess, speculating what he would be like. Luke had left to meet Jess in Hartford, so Jess wouldn't get lost on his way to Stars Hollow. Rory was in the process of cleaning up her room because the house was recently remodeled. Even though Rory had her own apartment and lived with Logan, she had her own room in the Twikham house for sleepovers and emergencies.

"I don't know. Do you think he'll be cute?" Rory answered Lorelai with a question.

"Well, he has to have good genes. I mean look at Luke. He's absolutely gorgeous, so it makes sense that his nephew would look just as good."

"Mom…" Rory said to Lorelai with a little chuckle.

"Sorry, I'm in love." Lorelai paused and smiled thinking about Luke. "Anyways, why do care? You're getting married."

"I told you, I'm not engaged anymore. I took Logan back but we are not engaged."

"Right," Lorelai said with a sarcastic tone. She wasn't thrilled about Logan. He had broken her daughter's heart and treated her terribly. She thought Rory deserved better but wasn't about to tell Rory who she could and could not date.

Rory was about to respond to Lorelai's sarcastic remark but was interrupted by Luke's voice. "We're home!" Luke yelled throughout the house. Lorelai smiled at Rory and the two girls excitedly ran to the living room to see who the mystery nephew was. Rory looked at him and noticed that it was Jess from her wild night out. She instantly looked away from him and looked at her feet, peeking at him every once and a while. When Jess noticed that it was the beautiful girl from the other night, his spirits were lifted and couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Ah, there they are. Lorelai, this is Jess my nephew. Jess, this Lorelai, my girlfriend," Luke said introducing the two.

"Hi," Lorelai said shaking Jess' hand.

"And, this is Rory, Lorelai's daughter," Luke said motioning to Rory. After Rory had seen who his nephew was, she was in complete shock. _How is this possible? I can't believe this_, Rory thought. She had managed to hide the astonishment from everyone else. She put a fake smile on and extended her hand to shake Jess'.

"Rory huh," Jess said glaring at her. He was completely surprised to see her. He thought he would never see her again after Chris' party but now he had a second chance.

"Yea, short for Lorelai," Lorelai said proudly.

"Hi," Rory whispered which was barely audible.

Luke and Lorelai gave Jess a tour of the house, while Rory poured herself a cup of coffee. Rory drank her coffee slowly, trying to prepare herself. She was interrupted when she heard Luke, Lorelai, and Jess laughing in the living room. Rory decided she needed to see what was going on and to make sure Jess hadn't said anything so she went into the living.

Lorelai's phone rung and she quickly answered it. "Hello…Sookie calm down…I'll be there in a minute." Lorelai closed her cell phone and grabbed her purse. "Sorry, there is a problem at the Inn that I need to take care of."

"Actually, I need to go back to the diner anyway. Caesar took today off, so I'm short staffed," Luke said.

"Rory do you think you could show Jess around?"

"Um…" Rory said. She wanted to say 'no, he can manage without her,' but decided that would look suspicious. "Yea, I can." Lorelai and Luke said their goodbyes and left for their respective jobs. Rory and Jess remained in the living room. There was an awkward silence between the two. Jess wanted answers from Rory, while Rory just wanted the whole situation to disappear.

Jess was the first to interrupt the silence. "Rory _Gilmore_," Jess said stressing the 'Gilmore.' He didn't know if he was madder at Rory for not telling him her last name or at him for not asking.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Luke's nephew?" Rory asked. She was upset at this ambush. If she had known, she could've been more prepared or completely avoided the situation.

"Sorry, I usually tell girls 'bye the way I'm Luke Danes' nephew'." Rory glared at him with her arms crossed. "Why didn't you tell me that your last name was Gilmore, as in the daughter of my uncle's girlfriend?" Jess retaliated.

"I guess it slipped my mind."

"I guess it didn't slip your mind to completely bolt the next morning without saying anything."

"Why do you care? You got what you wanted anyways."

"If you're insinuating that all I wanted was a piece of ass then you're wrong."

"Wasn't it? Weren't your lines like 'you deserve better' just a ploy. And what about getting me drunk? You sure you weren't looking to get laid," Rory said getting angry.

"No, they weren't," Jess replied sincerely. He meant it. For some reason, he was drawn to Rory that night at the coffee shop and wanted to help her. He didn't want to see her cry. He honestly cared about her, although he had no idea why. And after the party, Jess knew he liked Rory and wanted to actually get to know her but Rory destroyed any hopes of that happening. Jess then realized that he was madder at Rory. "And you got yourself drunk," Jess continued.

"Ha!" Rory yelled and him. She left the living room and stomped to her bedroom. She wanted to grab her coat and a few things before heading back to her Hartford. Actually, she wanted to go anywhere, it didn't matter, as long as Jess was not included.

Jess followed her to her bedroom. He wasn't about to let the conversation end there. He wasn't about to be insulted, no matter what his feelings for Rory was. He saw the bedroom was filled with Rory's things: pictures, stuffed animals, clothes, etc. "What? Do you live here?"

"No! I'm twenty five. I have my own apartment!"

"Well, I'd know that if you stayed around for me to talk to you!"

"Get out of my room!" Rory yelled and slammed the door shut as Jess stepped back.

Jess felt guilty about fighting with Rory. He didn't want to see her hurt and wanted to have a chance with her but he was yelling at her. He mentally cursed himself. _Why does she have this effect on me? I barely know her. It must be those piercing blue eyes_, Jess thought. He sat on the couch in the living room and calmed down. Once she returned to living room with her things, he took the opportunity to ask her how she was, "So how are you doing?"

Rory was surprised to see that Jess actually cared for her. _It's just another ploy_, Rory reminded herself. So when she answered Jess, there was still bitterness in her voice, "Good. I'm good. And in case if you wondering, I back with Logan now."

"What! He cheated on you! How can you go back to him!"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I love him and everyone deserves second chances."

_Yea, everyone but me_, Jess thought. He was upset at himself for getting so worked up over a girl that he obviously had no chance with besides a one night stand. "I can't believe you."

"Yea, well doesn't concern you! It's my life!" Rory said as she walked to the door.

"Where are you going? You're supposed to be showing me around."

"Yea, well, here's our house, where you will be staying at. And you already know where your room and the bathroom are located. Need anything else?"

"No!"

"Good!" Rory opened the door but before leaving she added, "And don't tell anyone about what happened in Philadelphia!" She stepped outside slamming the door behind her.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Jess yelled after her and headed to his room.

* * *

**A/N:** So I really don't like how I portrayed the fight that much. Basically, what I want to get across is that Jess instantly likes Rory (like in Season 2 - he falls for her very quickly) and that Rory is embarassed by the situation and wants to avoid. Also, I know Rory seems weak by running back to Logan but she is reluctant to. I know personally that it is hard to leave someone after five to six years of dating. But don't worry. It will be a Lit and Lit fans will be pleased by the next couple of chapters. Please Review!! 


	5. Confessions

**A/N:** Wow, I had double the reviews for the last chapter. So, thank you all very much. As previously stated, I hope you like this as much as I do. I absolutely love writing it and am constantly adding more things chapters to the outline. ) Anyways, once again, sorry that it's OOC. It's really hard to write the characters. Major props to the show's writers. Anyways, on with the chapter...

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Rory jumped into her car and sped out of her driveway. _Where am I going? What am I doing?_ Rory thought as she drove her car through Stars Hollow. She was completely confused. She didn't want to go to Logan's because their relationship was strained and she couldn't tell him exactly why she was upset. In fact, she couldn't talk to anyone because she wanted to keep Philadelphia a secret. Rory sighed in defeat. She had to tell someone, so it wouldn't drive her crazy. _Mom, I'll tell mom. She'll make things better_, Rory decided and headed to the Dragonfly Inn. Rory pulled into the driveway of the Dragonfly Inn and went inside to find her mom. She found her re-shelving books in the library. The Inn was practically empty and really quiet so Rory decided it would be a perfect time to tell her everything.

"Oh Rory, I'm glad you're here. I have to go out of town tonight. Sookie is having a major crisis and I'm going to fill in for her at a conference in New York. I talked to Luke and he is coming too, so we need you hang out with Jess. You know, be a friendly neighbor, that sort of thing. Speaking of Jess, was I right or what? He definitely got some of Luke Dane's hotness," Lorelai said in one or two breaths. Rory smiled at her mom for being a long winded talker.

"Actually Mom, that's why I'm here…to talk about Jess." Rory paused to formulate the thoughts in her head, only Lorelai interpreted the pause as something else.

"What? Are you ok? Did he do something to you? What is it baby?" Lorelai asked as the overprotective mother she was. She rushed over to Rory to inspect her for any signs of injury or hurt.

"No, no, nothing like that. Mom…I've met Jess…before."

"What? When? Where?"

"Actually, I met him a couple of days ago, when I was in Philadelphia writing that art article."

"Oh, so what's the problem?"

"Well…if I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't think badly of me or anything."

"Rory, of course not. How could I think badly of you, especially when I have more skeletons in my closet than Eminem."

"Referencing Eminem?"

"I'm very sleep and coffee deprived today. Plus, I think one of the guests were listening to him earlier. But that's not the point."

"Right. Well, when Logan cheated on me, I was hysterical and I met Jess in a coffee shop. He was so nice, trying to cheer me up and everything. So, I went to this party with him and…well…I had too much Tequila…and I flirted with him and kissed him and…"

Rory, honey, it's ok. It's only natural for you to feel the way you did and act the way you did. It was your way of cooping," Lorelai interrupted Rory, so she could catch her breath and stop rambling.

"No mom. That's not it. I…I…I slept with him. I slept with Jess and now he's here in Stars Hollow and it's…awkward…and weird."

"Oh…well, that's one thing you got from me."

"What?"

"Your inability to hold Tequila very well."

"Mom, I need your help. I'm just so confused. I mean I want to tell Logan but you know how upset he'll be. And he'll probably start a fight and practically hunt down Jess to personally kill him. And now we are promising to be honest with each other and Jess is here so he needs to know why we hate each other and why everything is awkward between each other. And if he finds out without me telling him, then things will be worse. I can't keep secrets very well; everything will blow up in my face. And then we'll…"

"Ok, slow down Rory, breathe. Honey, I think you know what you need to do. You know you need to tell Logan, so he'll hear it from you personally. That way, everything is in the open and he'll know what is going on with Jess. It won't be a total slap in the face when he sees the two of you or hears about it. So, just explain everything to him calmly and rationally and I'm sure he'll understand. And maybe, in the process or over time, things will seem less strange between you and Jess because everything is in the open. Everything will be ok. I promise."

"Ok, you're right. I just…needed to hear it from someone else. Oh, and please don't tell Luke."

"I won't."

Rory smiled. "Love ya," Rory hugged her mom and hopped into her car to head for their apartment.

* * *

Rory took a deep breath as she prepared to tell Logan about the Jess incident. _I can't believe I'm going to do this. He's going to be so pissed_, Rory thought as a frown swept over her face. _No, no, I need to do this. It's for the best. No secrets. You can do this. You're a Gilmore,_ Rory told herself in a pep talk. She slowly turned the knob to let herself in.

"Ace! I'm so glad you're home. I thought we could go out to eat, you're choice of course. Anything really, just to get away from here," Logan bombarded her as she entered the apartment. He noticed she was quiet and solemn. "What's wrong Ace?" Logan questioned worried.

"I need to talk you."

"Ok, talk away," Logan said as she sat down on his plush sofa.

"In Philadelphia, after you…know…everything happened, I…I…"

"Rory, come on, you can tell me."

"I got drunk, I know a rarity, and…well…I had a one stand." Rory blurted the last part out, hoping Logan wouldn't hear it or that the reaction would quick and painless. Rory looked at her feet, a little ashamed at herself but mostly dreading what was coming next.

"But…that's not all…he's Luke's nephew and…staying with Mom and Luke for a while," Rory said in a small voice.

"Rory! Oh my God! How could you? How could you!"

"Logan! I found you with another woman in our bed! I was completely devastated! I guess…it was my way of cooping," Rory said repeating her mother's words.

"Rory, we've been over this! I thought we put that behind us! This…" Logan gestured with his hands, " has nothing to with me!"

"It has everything to do with you! If you never cheated on me, you would have never driven me into in the arms of another man!"

"Rory, I can't…I can't believe you. I mean you are always so rational, thinking things through, making pro/con lists. And now, I find out you had a one night stand!"

"Yes but…"

Logan shook his head at Rory and interrupted her, "All this talk about you not trusting me and now I find out you had a one night stand with some random guy. How am I supposed to trust you now?"

"Trust? Trust? You have ever right to trust me because I didn't cheat on you!"

"Tell me Rory, how many guys have there been. How many guys did you sleep with while we were dating?"

"None! Are you listening? I just told you I didn't cheat on you. I would never cheat on you or anyone else for that matter."

"I just…I don't know," Logan said and hung his face into his hands.

"Logan," Rory began softly. "Logan, I just wanted you to hear it from me personally, especially since he is in Stars Hollow now. I was stupid and not me and I honestly regret it now. It meant nothing to me. So, can't we just put this behind us and continue on."

"I don't know Rory," Logan said in defeat. Rory looked into his eyes and saw hurt. She knew he would be upset but didn't understand how he could be more upset than she was when he cheated on her.

"Well, we were putting our problems behind us."

"Well, those were different. They were my mistakes and…"

"Oh my God! I can't believe you. What _my_ mistakes can't be forgiven and forgotten. I mean you expected me to forgive and forget something _you _did when we were _engaged _but you can't forgive and forget something _I_ did when we were _broken up_!"

"That's not what I said."

"Well, that's what you implied," Rory said grabbing her purse and heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" Logan asked irritated.

"Out. I can't be with you when you are like this."

"Like what?"

"Like an ignorant asshole, who thinks the whole world revolves around him."

"I would rather be an ignorant asshole than a slut!" Logan yelled as Rory was halfway out the door.

Rory slammed the door shut behind her and headed to her car. She got into the driver's seat, blared the radio and headed for Stars Hollow again. _I'm going to need a new car with better gas mileage_, Rory thought after making several trips back and forth over the last two days, as she watched her apartment fade in her rearview mirrors.

* * *

**A/N:** I really didn't like this chapter. Once again, I had trouble expressing what I was thinking. This chapter is basically a set-up for Lit to come next chapter. I promise you won't be disappointed. Please Review!! 


	6. Sleepovers

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews. They are wonderful! So, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry this chapter is super long, I just wanted all of this to fit in one chapter. Plus, I have finals coming up so it'll be a while before I update. Also, I have a question for everyone: Are your alerts working because fanfiction hasn't alerted me for anything in the last week or two. Anyways, next chapter will be even better but I hope you like this one. Please Review!!

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Rory let out a sigh of relief as she finally reached her driveway. She decided on the way to her house that she was going to spend some at home so she could have some space, while giving Logan his space too. There relationship was so stressful and tense at the moment that they both were about to kill each other. Rory wanted to work things out with him because she loved him. Didn't she? He was her boyfriend of five years. It was hard not to love someone after that long. Rory shook the thoughts out of her head. Tonight was her night. She was going to spend the night at home, with her mom and Luke, and have a good movie night filled with coffee, junk food, and bad movies to mock.

"Hello?" Rory yelled into her house as she walked through the entrance. Rory heard no reply so she went to her bedroom to put her things down. When she walked back out of her bedroom, she noticed that the water was running in the bathroom. She walked to the door and knocked on the door. "Hello?" she questioned again. Once again, she heard no reply. Rory then assumed that it had to be her mom in the bathroom because Luke usually used the one upstairs and he would respond her. "Mom! Mom, I know it's you. Open the door!" Once again, there was no reply. "Open the door!" Rory yelled again.

Right after she yelled this, the door swung open and Rory was surprised to see that it wasn't Lorelai standing in front of her. Instead, it was Jess, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around him. Rory couldn't help but check him out, running her eyes over his body. She noticed that he was nicely built and looked absolutely gorgeous with his water soaked hair and the water droplets falling down his muscles. _Was he this gorgeous in Philadelphia? No wonder I instantly fell for him that night_, Rory thought. Rory shook her head and blinked the thoughts out of her mind. "Oh, I'm s-sorry…I thought you were m-my mom," Rory stuttered obviously embarrassed.

"Yea, I get that a lot. I'm usually mistaken for Lorelai," Jess said sarcastically and walked to his bedroom.

Rory was a little hurt by his sarcastic comments. She watched him go. _Was he mad at me? I don't want him to be mad at me_, she thought. _No Rory! Stop this! You have a boyfriend. Stop worrying about what he thinks. And stop checking him out!_ Rory reprimanded herself.

Rory was still standing in the same spot when Jess returned from his bedroom, this time fully clothed in sweats and a worn Meticalla shirt. "Jess, do you know where my mom and Luke are?" Rory asked trying to avoid the awkwardness that she occurred.

"She mentioned something about a convention in New York and that Luke was going too. She said they wouldn't be back for a couple of days."

"Oh, that's right. I totally forgot," Rory said. "Ok, well, I'm going…to…go now. I'll just come back later," Rory stated and headed to the door. She was within two feet of the door when she remembered why she came here. _I can't go back home. Logan is at home and I do __not__ want to deal with him tonight_. She turned around and saw Jess staring at her confused_. But where am I going to go? I guess I can go to Lane's or maybe Paris' but it's not the same as a movie night with mom_. Rory sighed heavily weighing the pros and cons of each decision as she tried to decide where she was going to stay.

"Rory?" Jess interrupted her thoughts. "You can stay here. This _is_ your house after all," Jess said after he noticed she was struggling to actually leave.

"Really?"

"Yea," Jess said like it was an obvious answer. "Don't worry, I'll be in my room, reading. I'll be out of your way."

"Oh…um…thanks," Rory said as Jess went to his room. Rory walked into her bedroom and went to sleep.

* * *

Rory rolled onto her side and groaned when she noticed that light was shining brightly in her room. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was noon. Rory sighed. She was extremely thankful that it was Saturday, so she could sleep in. The last week had been hectic and she desperately needed a day off. She walked out of her and smelled something cooking in the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and saw Jess cooking. 

"What are you cooking?" Rory asked. Sure, things were weird between them but she was tired of fighting. And it looked like Jess was going to be in the picture for a while, since he was Luke's nephew. So, she decided she wanted to work things out with him and become friends.

"I'm cooking a cheeseburger and fries for lunch."

"What? No breakfast?" Rory asked in a surprised voice.

"Rory, it's twelve o'clock. Breakfast is over."

"See, that's where you're wrong. Breakfast food is good at anytime of the day. In fact, pancakes, eggs, omelets, bacon, the whole she-bang is better at later on during the day then it is for breakfast," Rory said like everyone she know this.

"O…k."

Rory walked over to the coffee pot but was even more surprised to see that is was empty. "No coffee either?"

"Once again it's twelve o'clock."

"Well you see, if breakfast foods are good at anytime of the day, the same applies to coffee. In fact, coffee is a necessity. It is a given no matter what time of the day it is or what you're eating."

"Coffee is bad for you. You shouldn't drink too much of it."

"Oh, it is not. I could not function properly without coffee; therefore, making it a necessity," Rory said offended. She put on a pot of coffee.

"Well, why don't you make you some coffee and breakfast food?"

"I just put a pot of coffee on and I would make me some breakfast food but I can't cook. I usually just go to the diner to get Luke to make some for me but he's not there. I mean Caesar can cook really good too but it's just not the same."

Jess rolled his eyes and sighed at her. "Rory, do you want me to make you some pancakes?" he asked her.

"Please!" Rory yelled excitedly.

Rory and Jess ate their breakfast/lunch quietly. Jess noticed that Rory looked distracted, like something was bothering her, so he decided to question her. "Is everything ok?"

"Yea, why?"

"Well, you look distracted. Plus, you are being really nice to me and yesterday you practically hated me but today you don't."

"I know. I just figured that you're going to be in town for a while and are really never going to go away because you're Luke's nephew, so I thought I, we, should put everything behind us." Rory paused. "Plus, I really, really just want to stop fighting." She paused again, this time because of tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I just…want…everything to go…back to normal," She struggled to say between sobs.

Jess looked at her concerned and didn't really know what to do to help her. Last time he tried to help her, he ended up sleeping with her and making her problems worse. He figured she needed to talk about things, instead of keeping them bottled up, so he prodded. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Rory had begun to control her sobs by now. "We had a fight last night. Logan and I got into another terrible fight. All we, all I do is fight with people these days and I'm so tired of it. I just want to get along with everyone and go back to the way things were. So, I came home to have a movie night with my mom because that usually makes things better but she's not here," Rory said in one or two breaths.

Jess nodded. He felt somewhat responsible for things and he wanted to help her out. "Well, we can have your movie night."

"What? No, that's ok. I'll just wait."

"No, it'll make things better. We can just sit around and watch movies all day and all night. It'll take your minds off of things and give us a chance to actually get to know each other."

"Really?" Rory asked surprised that he wanted to help. She noticed that Jess nodded at her. "Why? Why are you so nice to me, when you barely know me?"

"Like I said, I just think you deserve more. Besides, I feel kinda responsible for what everything. So what movies do you want to watch?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I'll watch anything, whether they are good or bad. Actually, I probably enjoy watching the terrible ones more because then I mock them."

Jess smirked. "Ok, I'll go to the movie store and rent us some movies."

"And I'll go to Doose's and get the junk food, since you are completely unaware of the eating habits of a Gilmore," Rory and Jess walked out of the house and got into their respective cars to do their chores.

**

* * *

**

Rory returned home to an empty house. She began to set up their spread of junk food, when Jess finally arrived. "Ok, so I got some movies to watch," Jess said before he noticed all the food spread across the coffee table. "How many are we expecting? You have enough food to feed a village," Jess said in shock.

"Oh, no, about three-fourths of this food is for me and the rest of it is yours," Rory said laughing. It was fun teaching someone how to be a Gilmore.

Two hours later, Rory cut the tv off. "I can not believe that you rented _Almost Famous_. Who in the world likes to sat there watch this movie."

"What? You said you had no preference. Besides, you talked through the whole movie."

"Yes, well, that's something I do at all movie nights but something that no one else is allowed to do besides my mom."

They decided to talk for a while before putting the next movie in. They were asking each other all sorts of questions and it was Rory's turn. "So, where did you go to college at?"

"I didn't."

"Really?"

"Yea. I had some trouble in high school. I really did like going to school and everything, so I flunked out. Luke actually came to visit me and helped my mom and me work through some of our problems but it didn't work out that much. I still dropped out later and got my GED."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it probably worked out for the best. What about you?"

"I graduated from Yale."

"So, what exactly do you do? I remember you mentioning something about a newspaper but I was pretty wasted that night."

"I'm a journalist. I write articles for the _Hartfort Gazette_. I'm working my way up though. I remember you said you owned a bookstore."

"I do. I actually wrote a book. I don't know why they published it but they did. Then, I started working for their publishing company and now I own the bookstore."

"You wrote a book. Wow, that's impressive," Rory said. _Wow, he's really smart. And I feel so comfortable around him, like I've known him for a long time. I'm glad I decided to give him a chance at a friendship_, Rory thought. "What's the name of the book?"

"_The Subsect _but I doubt you'll find it. It was only published in a few independent bookstores. And even if you did, it sounds like crap."

This brought up the discussion of books and for the next hour or so, Rory and Jess debated their choice in books.

"Oh, I can't believe you like _The Fountainhead_," Jess said in disbelief.

"Yea, well, you like Hemingway," Rory said defensively.

"Hemingway is no way similar to Rand. Rand is a nutcase! Besides, you'd like Hemingway if you gave him a chance. He only has nice things to say about you."

Rory blushed a little before mumbling a "thank you." The two decided to take a break from talking to eat and watched another movie. It was Rory's turn to pick the movie, so she put in _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_.

Two hours later, they started talking some more. For some reason, they were talking about their craziest adventures, which prompted Jess to ask her a question. "What's the worst thing you've ever done?"

"I stole a yacht."

"You stole a yacht?"

"Yea, I stole a yacht, was arrested, given probation and three hundred hours of community service, quit Yale, and stopped talking to my mom, who happens to be my best friend, all in the same year."

"Huh? What made you do that?"

"I went through a terrible, life altering moment. I eventually realized that it wasn't me. It's not who I am, so I changed. I fixed everything."

Then, the two began to talk about relationships and the loves of their lives.

"So, have you ever been in love?" Rory asked Jess.

"No. I mean I've dated but nothing too serious. I don't think I really believe in love. I've never experienced it and all the people I witness who say they're in love, actually don't love each other. I've seen my mom go through countless men, all of whom she loved, and they all leave her, heartbroken as usual. I think love is just a word that people say and something they don't really mean."

"Oh, sorry," Rory said looking down at her hands. She was sorry she brought the subject up.

"No, it's ok. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What about you?"

"Well, I understand where you're coming from. I mean I dated this guy Dean for two years and I thought I was in love with and told him I loved him but I really wasn't. I broke up with him because he was so possessive and jealous and then I went back to him because once again I thought I loved him but he was married. It was horrible. Long story short, I didn't love him So, I understand where you can think that love is just a word but I love Logan. I really do, despite everything," Rory said. I_ do actually love him, don't I? You should never said anything Rory_, she thought.

"Maybe everyone has their soul mate and I just haven't found mine yet," Jess said trying to lighten the mood.

"Maybe," Rory replied. They then went to talking about several other subjects as if nothing happened. An hour or so later, Rory put in another movie, so they could watch it. They began to watch _The Godfather_, which they both decided on. By now, it was really late and Rory was really tired but she continued to watch the movie anyway. Thrity minutes into the movie, Rory fell asleep and her head fell onto Jess' shoulder. He looked down at her and smirked. He didn't want to wake her up, she looked too cute asleep, so he let her continue to sleep on his shoulder.


	7. Just Friends

**A/N: **Thanks again for all the reviews. Here is the real chapter seven. Hope you enjoy it. Just wanted to say again I'm sorry for the long update. It's been crazy with finals. And if you read any of my other fics, they'll be posted later this week. I promise. Another reminder: I'm starting a miniseries to parallel this fic. The video links will be posted on my profile. Right now, I have the trailer up. Check out! Enough of the rambling, here is the long waited chapter seven (my favorite one so far). Please review!!

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Rory yawned as her eyes fluttered open. She was surprised that she had been sleeping on the couch in the living room and was even more surprised when she noticed that she had been sprawled across Jess. _Oh, I must have fallen asleep on him last night_, Rory thought. She smiled at Jess, who was still asleep. Her thoughts were soon interrupted when she heard a car door slam shut. Rory looked out of the window and noticed Logan was walking up to the door. _Oh no. No, no, no. This is so not good_, Rory thought.

"Jess! Jess, wake up," Rory said in a quiet voice but with urgency. Jess didn't wake up, so Rory began to nudge him. "Get up!"

"What? God Rory, I'm still sleeping."

"Get up!" After she yelled at him, she heard a knock on the door. Rory grabbed Jess' hand and pulled him to the hallway, out of sight from Logan.

"What are we doing Rory?"

"Sshh! Logan is here and I don't want to see him or talk to him. He can't know that I'm here. Or that you're here," Rory said in a whisper. Jess gave her a confused look, thinking that she was crazy. Rory froze when she heard Logan talking outside.

"Lorelai, I'm glad you're here. Did Rory spend the night here?" Logan asked.

"I don't know. I was out of town. Did you knock?"

"Yea but no one answered and I know how Rory hates to wake up early."

"Well, let's see if she here," Lorelai said as she opened the door. Rory saw the door begin to open and she panicked. She needed a good hiding place. _Where can I hide? I need to find somewhere quickly_, Rory thought. She bit her lip and noticed the closet behind her. She grabbed Jess' hand and pulled him into the closet with her, just as Lorelai opened the door.

"Rory, what are we doing? Jess started after they were in the closet with the door closed.

"I told you, I don't want Logan to know I'm here. Or you for that matter," she replied as she listened to Lorelai, Luke, and Logan talk in the living room.

"What?"

"Sshh!"

"I'm sorry she's not here," Lorelai said.

"It's ok. I'll catch up with her later," Logan replied. Rory and Jess continued to listen intently to the conversation. They heard the door close.

Jess reached for the door knob to go back outside but Rory grabbed his hand and pulled him back inside and closer to her than he previously was. "Rory, what's going on?"

"Hush you!" Rory whispered loudly to him and placed a hand over his mouth. Jess removed Rory's hand but never let go. The whole time Rory and Jess had been standing inches apart but Jess moved even closer to Rory. Jess grabbed Rory's other hand and leaned down and lightly kissed her. Rory closed her eyes anticipating the kiss. Rory parted her lips to allow the kiss to deepen. She let go of Jess's hands and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jess instantly wrapped his arms around Rory's small waist.

Somehow Rory was brought back to reality and pulled apart from the kiss. She opened the door and ran into the living room. Jess followed her. "Rory…" he started but was soon interrupted.

"I'm so sorry. So, so, sorry. I don't know what I was doing. I mean…I have a boyfriend. I have a great boyfriend, who…" Rory said. She tried to think of the positive characteristics of Logan to name off for Jess but nothing came to her mind. "I have a boyfriend," Rory restated. "I, I, can't do this," Rory stammered as she ran outside.

"Rory!" Jess yelled running after her. But it was no use; she was already gone when he came outside.

* * *

Rory jogged across the old bridge but stopped half away across it. She began to breath heavily and thought, _Gee Rory, you need to work out more. Ha ha, sports are __not__ my thing_. She laughed to herself. She noticed how peaceful the water and sat down on the bridge. _This is the perfect place for me to just get away_, Rory thought. She began to sort through her own thoughts, searching for an answer. _Why did I kiss Jess? I don't even like him. I mean, maybe as a friend but nothing serious. Philadelphia was just a mistake…a huge mistake. I'm with Logan and I love Logan_. "I love Logan," Rory repeated aloud to attempt to convince herself.

Jess paused at the other end of bridge and noticed that Rory was sitting in the middle of the bridge. He sighed heavily and walked across the bridge to meet her. "Rory…"

"No, Jess, please, I just want to be alone."

"Rory, can we at least talk about this?"

"No, Jess!"

"Why not?"

"Because…when I'm with you…I do stupid things. I randomly sleep with and make out with you in closets. I just…can't be around you," Rory said as he got up from the bridge.

"Can't or won't?"

"Both. I have a boyfriend, a wonderful boyfriend and…"

"He cheated on."

"Yea…he did…but…"

"But what? Come on Rory, why are still with him? He's a complete asshole."

"I know that he cheated on me and yea, he was an asshole then. But you don't know him like I do. When things are good between us, they're really good. I mean the whole head over heals in love. I love him, I really do. I've been with him for over five years. I've been there through everything, the good and the bad, everything. And I was ready to marry him. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him. I just can't throw that away. Part of me…no, I still believe that things can work between us. I want things to work between us," Rory said.

"Then, why did you kiss me?"

"I don't know. Because…because you're an escape. Logan cheats on me and I sleep with you. Logan and I get in a fight and I make out with you. You're just revenge, a way for me to get back at Logan. It means nothing. Honestly."

"I don't buy that. It's bullshit. You're not the type of person who seeks revenge on your jackass of a boyfriend. And, you're a lot stronger than to put up with his bullshit and keep running back to him, just because you've dated him for five years."

"You don't know that. You don't me. You've known for a week, at the most. You do_n_'t know me."

"Yes, _I_ do. I can read you Rory, just like a book. And we're the same people Rory. We're just alike," Jess said. He paused and looked at Rory, who starred back disbelieving. "And I know that you don't truly believe that this," Jess said motioning with his hand between him and Rory, "is nothing but revenge. I know that this means more to you." Jess stepped closer and leaned down to kiss Rory. It was a soft and simple kiss but before he could deepen it, Rory backed away.

"No, Jess. No, this means nothing to me. We can't do this. I have a boyfriend. I just want to be friends with you."

"Rory…"

"No, Jess. Just friends!" Rory said before she took off again.

* * *

Rory ran into the diner and was greeted by her mom. "Offspring! I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"

"Oh, sorry, I've been busy."

"With what? It's a Sunday."

"Oh, well, I've just been spending the day by myself. Things have been hectic, so I decided to spend the day at the bookstore."

"Right. I almost forgot you had that book fetish."

"It's not a fetish," Rory said laughing at her mom. Someone came into the diner and sat down beside Rory and looked to see who it was. She was surprised to see that it was Jess. Wow! Does he ever give up? Rory thought.

"Jess, I can't," Rory whispered to him.

"I know."

"What's that all about?" Lorelai asked Rory.

"Nothing," Rory replied.

"Ace!" Logan shouted as he entered the diner. "I've been looking all around for. I was about to call the coast guard."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm going to go. Bye mom," Rory said as she hopped off her stool and hugged Lorelai. "Bye Luke!" she called into the kitchen. But before she left, she whispered to Jess again, "Sshh, don't tell anyone. And don't forget, just friends." Rory grabbed her purse and walked out of the diner with Logan.

"Just friends," Jess repeated after she was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, you probably hate me. It's OOC. Sorry. And I know everyone thinks that Rory is stronger then this but please just give it a chance. It'll make the break-up that much sweeter. Please Review!!

* * *


	8. The Danes' Family

**A/N:** Wow, thank you so much for all the reviews. They mean so much to me and keep me writing. So, this is another filler chapter. Although, it does set up some things for chapter 10 and it shows how hard it is for Rory and Jess to be just friends. I wanted to keep this light and fun because I know some of you are hating me for keeping Logan around this long. So, he won't be appearing in this chapter. And I promise he will be gone soon. So, on with the chapter...hope you like it. Please Review!

* * *

"I can't believe you have me reading this!" Jess exclaimed to Rory who was sitting on the bench beside him. He looked down at the book in his hands. _The Fountainhead_. Jess hated Rand but they made a compromise: he would read _The Fountainhead_, if Rory read a book by Hemingway.

"Hey! I'm reading _A Farewell to Arms_. I'm upholding my part of the bargain," Rory countered. It had been a week since their closet kiss and Rory was surprised that things weren't awkward between them. They had been spending a lot of time together, like they had been best friends since grade school. Rory had been successfully avoiding Logan for the last week. Rory was really beginning to regret taking Logan back. Their relationship was strained. All they did was fight and complain to each other. So, she had been spending even more time with Lorelai, Luke, and Jess. And she had been loving every minute of it.

Rory dog-eared the page of _A Farewell to Arms_ and pulled out another book from her pocket. "You have another book with you?"

"Yes. I always carry a book with me in my pocket. Or a newspaper. Or a magazine," Rory added.

Jess chuckled at her. He looked down at the new book in her hand and tried to see which book it was. "So, what are you reading now?"

Rory grinned at him. "_The Subsect_."

"Rory, no, you don't want to read that."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. It's terrible."

"No, it's not. I've read about half of it. Jess, it's really a great book."

"No, it's not. If I could rewrite it, I would keep the front cover and everything else goes." Rory gave him a skeptical look and began to read from where she left off.

"It has to be good for you to afford to keep your bookstore and all those first editioins n your apartment."

"How do you remember what was in my apartment? You were totally wasted that night."

"I wasn't that morning!"

"I thought you bolted as soon as you woke up."

"Not before a quick peek," Rory said grinning. She then began to read the book again.

"Rory, come on. Don't read that." Rory laughed at him and jumped up off the bench. Jess followed her and started to reach for the book. Rory placed it behind her back and took off to her house with Jess following closely behind.

* * *

Lorelai was in the living room deciding what to watch. Lorelai was bored: Rory was somewhere with Jess, Luke was at the diner, and Sookie had Jackson and her children to tend to, so Lorelai decided to have a day to herself. She glanced through the DVD's and VHS tapes her and Rory had stored near the tv. Pippi Longstocking was the first film to jump out at her. It was old favorite of Lorelai and Rory. Then again, all films were favorites on their list when they were able to criticize and mock them. She put the film in and sat on the couch. A few minutes into the movie, Luke walked into the living room.

"Ok, I have food: burgers, fries, doughnuts, coffee. I even brought you a piece of apple pie."

"Oh, my hero," Lorelai said in her most innocent and helpless voice. She walked over to Luke and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"Anything for a lady in distress," Luke replied with another kiss. Luke felt nervous for what he was about to do. He had been waiting for the perfect moment but now seemed just as perfect as any.

"Lorelai, you know I love you."

Lorelai kissed him to assure him that the answer was yes. "I love you too."

Luke smiled at Lorelai. "Lorelai, will you marry me?"

Lorelai smiled at Luke. "Yes!" she screamed and kissed Luke again.

Shortly after, Rory ran through the front door with Jess closely behind her. "Give me the book, Rory."

"Nope!" She said and the two were laughing like little children on a playground. They noticed Lorelai and Luke making out in the living room, completely unaware of their presence. Rory coughed trying to make herself visible. Lorelai didn't notice but Luke did, so he pulled away from Lorelai's embrace.

"Rory…Jess, we have big news," Lorelai announced. She grabbed Luke's hand and continued, "We're getting married!"

Rory ran over to Lorelai and grabbed her hands. The two began to jump up and down and dance around in excitement. "Aw, congratulations," Rory shouted as she hugged Lorelai and then hugged Luke.

"Thank you!" Luke and Lorelai shouted in unison.

"Yea, congratulations," Jess said to the both of them. Luke eyed him and Jess finally gave in and hugged the both of them.

"Let's celebrate!"

* * *

That the night, the four of them celebrated the engagement. They traveled to Hartford and had a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Luke paid for his and Lorelai's dinner and Jess paid for his and Rory's dinner, even though Rory insisted that he didn't. Then, the four of them went back to the Crap Shack to have an infamous Gilmore Movie night, to finish _Pippi Longstocking_.

"So, where's Logan?" Lorelai asked eyeing her daughter, who was sitting in the floor and sharing popcorn with Jess. Lorelai was skeptical of Rory's friendship with Jess. She knew the two had a brief past together and that old habits and attractions die hard. Granted, Logan wasn't her favorite person in the world, but she didn't want Rory to become his female counterpart.

"At home. I told him that we were celebrating tonight. He understood," Rory replied like it wasn't that big of a deal.

Lorelai sighed but quickly cheered up when Luke reached for her hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and continued to watch Rory and Jess, while glancing at the movie every once in a while. Rory tossed popcorn at Jess, who tossed it back at her, leaving Rory giggling.

"So, this is the Danes' family," Lorelai said smiling.


	9. I'm Not Jealous

**A/N:** Wow, thank you so much for the reviews. They're awesome. I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been super busy: two funerals and a wedding. Not to mention all the pressure I've been under. But to make up for it, I have a fairly long chapter ahead of you. I know you'll hate me after this chapter but be on the look out for the next chapter because it will be greatness and be the event that will finally push Rory and Jess together. Hope you enjoy and please review!!

* * *

"Coldplay? Are you sure?" Rory asked Jess disbelievingly. The two were sitting at a table at Luke's and had been discussing music for the last hour or so. Rory had been spending even more time at Lorelai's and Luke's over the last couple of days. She felt herself and Logan drifting farther apart. Every night, Logan would question where she had been for the day and her actions. And Rory would do the same when Logan was out for hours with Colin and Finn. This often led to vicious fights. Their relationship was failing because they had no trust in each other. And little attraction any more. Rory found herself falling for Jess more and more everyday. She didn't care about what happened in Philadelphia. All that matter to her was the present in Stars Hollow. She loved how she could talk to him for hours about absolutely nothing in particular, how they liked the same books and music, and the mystery between them. So, for the past few days Rory had been making up countless excuses to spend more time with him.

"Trust me!" Jess replied as he assured Rory that the band's new CD was awesome. Rory gave him another skeptical look. "Come on, I'm not going to lie to you."

"Fine, I'll give them a chance," Rory said as she took a handful of Jess' fries to eat because she had finished her order ten minutes ago.

A blonde hair girl walked into the diner and stared intently at Jess and Rory but they didn't seem to notice because they were too busy laughing at each other. After watching the two for a couple of minutes, the girl walked over to the table. "Jess?" she said interrupting them.

Jess looked up from Rory to the girl that was standing in front of them. "Shauna?" Jess replied disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you honey."

"You missed me?" Jess repeated questioning her true meaning.

"Of course I did. Who is this honey?"

"First of all, stop calling me honey, and this is…"

"Rory. My name is Rory," Rory said interrupting Jess.

"Hi, I'm Shauna. I'm Jess' girlfriend. The one that he left in Philadelphia for the last two weeks."

Rory's heart broke. She couldn't believe that Jess had a girlfriend. _I can't believe he's been leading me on. And that night in Philadelphia…he cheated on her with me. He's had a girlfriend this whole time and here I was falling for him. I can't believe this_, Rory thought. But she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head and faked an awkward smile. "It's nice to meet you." Rory shot a glare in Jess' direction and got up from the table. "I…I have to be going," Rory said. She murmured a quick 'bye' and left Luke's.

Jess ran outside after Rory and yelled after, "Stop Rory!"

"Jess…"

"No, listen to me. Shauna is not my girlfriend."

"Well, she seems to think otherwise."

"But I'm not with her. Trust me," Jess said for the second time that day. Fifteen minutes earlier, Rory had easily given into Jess. She instantly trusted him. But now she was reluctant. "I broke up with her a long time ago. It's been a least a month since I broke up with her and she keeps calling me and won't leave me alone. You have to believe me."

Rory looked at Jess and was still heartbroken. She wanted to believe to him but she had been hurt so much in the past. So, she decided to play it off. "Jess, it doesn't matter. We're just friends," Rory said as she turned around and headed to Hartfort.

Jess walked back into the diner, upset that Shauna had ruined things with him and Rory. He was even more upset at Rory for blowing him off like she did and for acting like it didn't matter. He walked up to Shauna to confront her. "Shauna, we're not dating. Stop calling me honey, stop stalking me, and leave me the hell alone."

"Jess, you can't ignore this. You can't pretend like a whole year didn't happen. I miss you." Shauna paused to emphasis her next phrase. "I love you."

"It's over Shauna."

"Not it's not. Look around Jess. She's not here. She just left you and if she wanted to be with you, she would've stayed and fought for you. I on the other hand, I came here all the way from Philadelphia for you. I'm willing to fight for you. Like I said, I love you and you have no one else to love you."

"Shauna…"

"Jess, I'm just asking for a chance. Give me one more chance," she said interrupting him. When she noticed that her speech had no effect on him, she tried another tactic. "Look, let's go somewhere and just talk. We can talk about us, books, whatever you want. We can even talk about her, if you want to."

"We can talk," Jess replied as he led her out of the door.

* * *

The next afternoon, Rory and Lorelai were sitting in Luke's diner enjoying their third cup of coffee. Rory was trying to avoid Jess after the previous' days events but Lorelai wanted to talk to her about wedding details, so Rory reluctantly agreed.

"Oh, bad news. What plans do you and Logan have for Friday?"

"Um…" Rory started. The truth be told, she didn't know because she hadn't really talked to Logan in a couple days. "Well, I'm not sure what Logan's plans are but I'm free. Why?"

"I talked to the grandparents."

"Uh oh."

"Yea, uh oh is right. They want to us to have dinner with them. All of us. You, me, Luke, Logan, even Jess. Mom said that it was the proper thing to do since I'm engaged."

"How did she take the news?"

"Not as bad as I imagined. You know she's still upset that Christopher and I are not together and he'll never be the one but I think she's happy that I'm finally settling down."

"Aw, my little girl is growing up," Rory said jokingly to Lorelai. Rory opened her mouth to say something else but she was distracted by Jess and Shauna, who just stumbled through the diner's doors. Shauna giggled at Jess and ran her hands through his hair, which prompted Jess to wrap her in a tight embrace to kiss her. Rory stared at the couple furiously.

"Rory, honey? Is everything ok?" Lorelai asked Rory as she noticed something was wrong.

"Yea…ok…no it's not. I just, I can't believe Jess. Look at him all over miss thing. I mean, God get a room."

"Rory, are you jealous of Jess' girlfriend?"

"No. No, I'm not jealous. I have Logan. It's just that he was very adamant yesterday that they were not dating and today they're all over each other."

"Rory, it sounds like you are jealous."

"No, I'm not," Rory insisted. She finished her coffee and said goodbye to Lorelai. She lied to her, saying that she needed to go to the bookstore to find a new edition of a particular book, but the real reason she was leaving was because of Jess. She was so furious at Jess, Shauna, and her mother that she hadn't noticed that Jess had left the diner and was outside. She ran into once she exited the building. "Sorry," Rory mumbled before she continued on her way.

"Is everything ok?" Jess asked.

"Yes, everything's ok. I wish people would stop asking me that," Rory snapped. Jess stared at her quietly, not believing a word he said. "I thought you said you weren't dating her."

"I wasn't until last night. I decided to give her a second chance."

"Of course," Rory said sarcastically.

"Rory, why do care if I date Shauna? You're dating Logan. You've made it very clear that you are with him and that you want to be with him and that we are _just_ friends," Jess replied emphasizing the 'just.' "I'm not just going to sit around and wait for Logan to hurt you again for you to come crawling back to me. I deserve better than that. And I have a life to live and right now, it's going to be with Shauna."

"So what, Philadelphia meant nothing to you? The kissing, the flirting, the attraction, you're just going to act like it never happened?"

"That's the plan."

"I can't believe you. You arrogant…" Rory began before Jess interrupted her.

"Don't even. You did the exact same thing when you ran back to your boyfriend after Philadelphia. You continue to do the same thing when you stay with him, pretending to be in love. So, don't pretend that you're all innocent."

Rory stared him hurt by his words. She was still furious at him but deep down, she knew he was right. And one thing she didn't want to be was a hypocrite. She was tired of fighting with him, so she surrendered. "You're wrong. I'm very much in love with Logan. I hope things work out between you and Shauna," Rory said half heartedly. She turned around and walked towards the crap shack but was cut off by a silver Porsche.

"Logan, what are you doing here?"

"I missed you Ace. We haven't been spending that much time together. I just wanted to surprise you," he replied. Rory smiled at him and hopped in the passenger's seat and passionately kissed Logan.

Jess watched the exchange from across the street. He watched, with clenched teeth, as the couple drove off. Luke stood behind him and watched Jess. "You're not jealous of Logan are you?"

"Nope. I'm not jealous," Jess replied. He went back inside the diner and kissed Shauna just as passionately as Rory kissed Logan.


	10. Isn't Friday Night Dinners Great?

**A/N:** Thanks again to all the reviewers and fans! Wow, I'm so so very sorry for neglecting this fic for so long. I've been super busy over the past two months and have had little inspiration. But now, I have it up and running. And to make up for the overdue wait...I have posted a long chapter. It's about twice as long as most of my other chapters. And I still didn't like how it ended up but that's the perfectionism in me. So, hope like you it...

* * *

The next few days passed a little too quickly for Roy until it was Friday. Since Rory and Jess' fight, Rory had been staying far from Stars Hollow, telling Lorelai that she had been swamped with work at the _Hartford Gazette_. In actuality, she was trying her best to avoid Jess and Shauna. She was so angry at him for pretending that their history meant nothing. But then, she would curse herself for caring so much…she did have Logan, who she "loved with all of her heart." Rory sighed heavily and continued to pick at the pleats of her dress pants. Tonight, she would have to face Jess, her grandparents and so much more. Not to mention, she had to do it all with Logan by her side. She wasn't ready for it.

"You ready to go, Ace?" Logan called to her from the door. He noticed she was distracted but didn't mention it. He was really trying to win her back.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I'm ready," Rory replied as she rose from the couch. She grabbed her purse as they headed out of the door.

They drove to Lorelai and Luke's house to meet up with them. Rory and Logan had promised them that they would meet them at their house so they could all ride together. Logan pulled into the driveway and both him and Rory were surprised to find a red Mustang in the driveway. Rory reluctantly made her way to the door. She was ready for the night to be over already.

"Hey sweets!" Lorelai greeted Rory as she entered the door.

"Hey!" Rory greeted her mother, trying to match her enthusiasm. Rory's eyes immediately fell to the two people sitting on the couch in the living room: Jess and Shauna.

"Sorry, I meant to call you earlier but we're going to have to take two cars since Jess and Shauna are coming too," Lorelai stated. "So, who's riding where?" Lorelai asked.

Everyone looked at each other blankly. Tension filled the air as Rory, Logan, Jess, and Shauna tried to avoid each other. Jess nudged Shauna who responded, "Ow! What?" She asked as she looked at Jess confused. Rory mentally shook her head. "Ok, I will drive me and Jess…happy?" She asked him as he headed outside not responding to anyone.

"I guess that means we'll be riding with you," Lorelai replied to Rory and Logan. "Ready?" Lorelai asked Luke who had been standing near her the whole time. Rory hadn't noticed him because he had been extremely quiet the whole time. Rory noticed that Luke looked nervous, but Rory couldn't blame him because of his previous encounters with her grandparents.

"Mom, do they have to go?" Rory whispered to Lorelai when Logan and Luke were safely out of the door and out of ear-shot.

"Personally, I don't want them to go either nor do I really want to go. You know how your grandparents are though," Lorelai responded as grabbed her purse. Rory sighed and bit her lower lip. The four of them headed out the door and hopped into Logan's Porsche. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The three couples walked toward the door and everyone instinctly looked at Lorelai. Lorelai rolled her eyes at the others, mentally calling them cowards, and rang the door bell. Instead of being greeted by the maid of the week, Emily Gilmore opened the door to allow them inside.

"It's about time you got here," Emily scolded Lorelai as they all filed through the doors. "How can you be late for your own party, Lorelai? See what you're going to have to deal with Luke?"

"Mom, we're five minutes later. Besides, it's hardly a party. It's just dinner, the eight of us….nothing fancy."

"Still it's impolite to be late to a _dinner_ that's being thrown in your honor."

Lorelai sighed heavily as she and the rest of the party hung their coats up. Emily then quickly ushered them to the dining room so supper could begin. Lorelai, Luke, and Jess sat on side of the table and Rory, Logan, and Shauna sat on the opposite side of the table. Lorelai could sense the tension in the room between her parents and Luke, Rory and Jess, Rory and Shauna, and between Jess and Logan. While they were waiting on the maid to put the finishing touches on the entrée, Richard decided it was the perfect opportunity to question the new guests: Jess and Shauna.

"So, Jess, where did you go to college?" Richard questioned.

"Actually, I didn't."

"You didn't go to college?" Emily piped in disbelievingly.

"Uh…no. See, school wasn't really my thing."

"How do you make a proper living without a college education?"

"Yes, how do you make a living Jess?" Logan asked cockily trying to size up his competition.

"I own a small bookstore in Philadelphia. It's nothing big or anything but it pays the bills. And I occasionally write novels."

Richard nodded his head, deciding to say nothing so he wouldn't have to indicate whether he approved or not. However, Logan took the opportunity to humiliate Jess. "Well, isn't that humble? Tell me, what are you going to do when your books fail. Afterall, Philadelphia is an expensive city. How will you support yourself and your girlfriend?"

Jess opened his mouth to speak but Shauna interrupted him. "Jess is very talented, so I don't see that happening anytime soon. Besides, I can support myself."

Logan shook his head disbelievingly and opened his mouth to say something else but before he could, Rory interrupted him. "Actually, Jess is very talented. He's capable of being the next great American author," Rory interjected. However, she suddenly regretted saying anything. Logan began to glare at her questioningly, as did Shauna. "Well…" Rory began as she frantically tried to think of way to word things. "Well, when Jess told me he was an author I searched for his work to read, so I could write a blurb about it in the _Hartford Gazette_. You know, give him a little more publicity, especially since he's Luke's nephew," Rory said digging herself out of a hole.

"I'm sure," Logan whispered to Rory.

"Logan…" Rory reprimanded him but it was no use.

"So, I hear you met Rory in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago," Logan stated trying to start a fight between him and Jess. Rory glared at him out of the side of her eyes.

"What? You didn't tell me this Jess," Shauna stated.

"Me either," Luke replied.

"Yea, we briefly met at a coffee shop. I didn't know she was Lorelai's daughter until I came to Stars Hollow."

"Well, isn't that grand? It's a small world," Logan said still trying to upset Jess.

"What's your problem?" Jess asked.

"Nothing. Should there…" Logan began before he was interrupted.

"Logan, can I speak to you please?" Rory asked as she grabbed his hand and led him from the table into the study where they could have some privacy. "Logan stop it. You're not making things any better. You're only complicating the situation more."

"What? The guy slept with my fiancé. Do you expect me to be best friends with him?"

"Logan, we were broken up when that happened. Besides, it's in the past. We agreed to forgive and forget and move on."

"I agreed to forgive you, not him. I haven't had a chance to confront him yet."

"Logan, please. This dinner is supposed to be for mom and Luke. Do not ruin it for them."

"Fine," Logan replied as he stormed back into the dining room.

"Rosa! I think it's time for the main dish!" Emily called into the kitchen trying to ease the tension at the table.

* * *

After dinner and desert was finished, Emily, Richard, Lorelai, and Luke headed outside to the patio to talk and enjoy another drink or two. Rory and Shauna followed closely behind, leaving Logan and Jess alone the hallway.

"Look, I don't know who think you are sleeping with my fiancé!"

"From what I hear, yall are no longer engaged. And I didn't force her do anything that she didn't want to do!"

"I'm going to tell you this only once: Leave Stars Hollow as soon as you can. Don't ever come back. Don't ever lay a hand on Rory. Don't utter her name. Don't even think about her. Got it?" Logan asked stepping closer to Jess.

"When did you get to be the boss of me?"

"I'm not playing Jess!" Logan replied.

"What's going on?" Shauna asked Rory. The two girls had been waiting for Logan and Jess in the other room but they began to worry when they heard them yelling.

"I don't know," Rory lied. She knew that Logan and Jess were fighting over her but she didn't want Shauna to know that. She ran into the other room, followed by Shauna.

"I'm serious Jess! She made her choice. She chose me. She doesn't want to be with you. So, leave her alone!"

"Logan!" Rory yelled.

"Rory, stay out of it!"

"No, Logan," Rory replied. She grabbed his arm and pulled him a few feet away. "Logan, I told you to forgive and forget. Remember, mom and Luke's night."

"Rory, stop pretending that everything's ok! You know good and well that our relationship has not been ok since the two of you slept together in Philadelphia," Logan stated. Shauna, who had been oblivious to the situation, listened more intently after this was stated.

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that I can't trust because you cheated on me and you lash out at me."

"No, it's the fact that Jess over there came to Stars Hollow and screwed up everything between us. And the fact that you haven't forgiven me!" Logan yelled at Rory. Rory just stared at him, speechless, knowing that it was true.

"Look, don't talk to her like that," Jess said coming to Rory's rescue.

"Stay out of it!"

"No! Rory does not deserve to be treated like this!"

"And I do? She's not as innocent as she pretends to be. And I'm pretty sure that Shauna doesn't deserve to be treated the way she is."

"This has nothing to do with Shauna! Or Rory. Your problem is with me! Not them!"

"Jess!" Shauna yelled obviously upset over the conversation. She ran to his side to try to pull him back before someone threw a punch.

"I'm leaving! Rory, let's go!"

"Don't order her around! Let her make her own decisions!"

"Fine! I'm out of here!" Logan said as he slammed the door behind him. The three of them could here the gravel spin as he sped off.

Rory went and sat on the couch staring blankly at the floor. She couldn't believe what had happened between them.

"Are you ok?" Jess asked Rory.

"Yea. Can you give me a ride back home? I really don't want to be here."

"Yea, I'll go get Luke and Lorelai," Jess replied as he left the room, leaving Rory and Shauna alone.

"So, you and Jess huh?" Shauna asked trying to pick a fight with Rory. She felt threatened and wanted to hit Rory when she was down.

"Look, can you please leave me alone."

"Just so you know, you were a total rebound. Jess will never _ever _leave me for you."

"You know what, I don't care. If he wants to be with a bitch like you, he can. I…don't…care," Rory lied.

Lorelai ran into the room followed closely by Luke, Emily, and Richard. "Are you ok honey?"

"Yes…no…maybe. I don't know. I just want to go home." Lorelai nodded an understanding yes. Emily and Richard agreed to give Lorelai, Rory, and Luke a ride home because Shauna's Mustang wasn't big enough for the five them. Plus, they wanted to avoid the tension.

Rory, Lorelai, Luke, Emily, and Richard piled into Richard's small car. It was still a little cramped but it was much better than piling into the Mustang with Jess and Shauna.

"Can you drop me off at Logan's?" Rory asked her grandparents. Richard agreed but Lorelai protested.

"Rory? Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yes! Trust me mom." Lorelai shook her yes sighing heavily. She grabbed Luke's hand for comfort and reassurance.

They finally reached Logan's house after what seemed like hours of traveling. Rory thanked her grandparents and said goodbye to everyone. She sighed heavily and gained the confidence she needed as she walked to the door. She made sure Logan's car was there and confirmed he was there when she saw him watching tv through the living room window. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.

"Logan!" Rory yelled at the top of her lungs as she entered the room. She then slammed the door behind her as hard as she could.

* * *

A/N: So, it ended sorta in a cliff hanger. Conclusion will be next chapter (not the end of the story though!). Please Review!!


	11. No More Second Chances

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all the reviews!! They were wonderful and my inspiration. Good news: I decided to expand the fic a little more so their will definitely be at least four more chapters!! Yay!! I love this fic. And this chapter came out halfway decent and I halfway like it. Lol. Oh and special shout out to my dearest Ashley who has been pushing me to write this chapter. She read the whole fic in one night. Major props to her. Ok, so enough talk...I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to always review!! 3

* * *

"Logan!" Rory shouted again when she discovered that Logan was not in the living room. "Logan!"

"What!" Logan yelled back at her walking out of the kitchen and into the living room carrying some type of mix drink in his left hand. He stumbled a little as he made his way to the couch. "What do you want?" Logan asked slurring his words a little.

"Great! You're drunk," Rory replied.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't know, Logan. Maybe, because I'm trying to have a meaningful conversation with you."

"No, you aren't. You just want to yell at me some more. Well, Rory, I'm a little too tired for this tonight."

"You deserve to be yelled at after tonight!" Rory said yelling at him more.

"What I did? You're no saint either."

"Excuse me? What did I do that was _so_ wrong? All I tried to do was keep the peace!"

"You took his side, Rory. You backed Jess up over your own boyfriend."

"Well, maybe if you weren't such an arrogant asshole…"

"What do you want from me?" Logan asked obviously tired of listening to Rory complain.

"Well, for starters, I'd like a little more respect."

"You get respect when you give respect," Logan responded dully.

"Excuse me?" Rory replied offended. "I think I have been plenty respectful to you."

"Being in love with someone else is not being respectful," Logan said taking another taste of his mix drink. He set down on the couch and twirled the contents of his cup around, took another sip, and sighed heavily.

"What?" Rory asked confused.

"Jess, Rory, Jess. I can tell you're in love with him. How are you respectful to me when you're in love with him?"

"I am not in love with Jess," Rory replied lying to herself and Logan. _This is not about him. Ok, it's partly about him but it's mostly about Logan. Completely, about Logan_, Rory assured herself. "But let's talk about respect, Logan. How can I give you respect when you're not respectful to me? I don't call respect sleeping with some slut when you're on vacation with your fiancé. I don't call respect you judging me for sleeping with Jess while we were broken up. I don't call respect you calling me a slut. I don't call respect you ruining mom and Luke's engagement party. I don't call respect the way you treated me tonight or the way you have been treating me. I don't call respect the way you belittled Jess…"

"Jess, yea, he definitely deserved everything that happened and everything that is coming to him."

"You haven't given him a chance Logan! You don't even know him! You had no right to belittle him like you did in front of everyone! You had no right to provoke him into fighting you the way you did! I can't believe you Logan! You cheated on me but yet you blame me and take everything out on me!"

"No, I'm taking it out on Jess. And we both know my mistakes have nothing to do with this. Like I've said and like I've been saying, you're in love with Jess. You have been all along and now you're trying to justify yourself and your actions!"

"Even if I have been in love with Jess, it still doesn't excuse you from the way you've acted. You've been nothing but a complete asshole! This is not about him!"

"Bullshit Rory!" Logan yelled at Rory as jumped off the couch and pointed his finger in her face. "You've spent pretty much the entire last month at Lorelai's to be around him. If you're not in love with him, why do you keep defending him? I see the way you look at him, the way you act around him. It's the same way you used to look at me and the same way you used to act with me. You don't love me any more Rory. When's the last time you told me you love me? Or the last time we went on a date? Or how about the last time we had sex? We haven't Rory! Not since Jess! You can sit there and point the finger at me for cheating and blame our relationship problems on me but it's just as much your fault as it is mine!"

"Fine! It's my fault too! So, don't blame Jess! He never did anything to you!" Rory yelled louder this time. She was fed up with this. She was tired of fighting, yelling, crying, and Logan making her feel guilty. _I didn't do anything wrong. I slept with a guy when I was broken up with Logan. He's the one who makes me feel like crap. He's the one who cheated. He's the one who has trust issues. I may have fallen in love with someone else but I don't deserve to be treated this way_, Rory reminded herself.

"He slept with my fiancé!" Logan yelled for the second time that night.

"We were broken up Logan! How many times do I have to remind you! We were not together at the time!" Rory said even angrier. "And we no longer are!"

"What?" Logan asked in a barely audible whisper.

"You heard me."

Logan knew exactly what she said but didn't want to accept it. He placed his mix drink on the coffee table. "Say it again. Do you have the heart to say it again?"

"Yes I do Logan! It's over! Over!" Rory said reassuring him. "Logan, I am sick and tired of fighting and yelling and feeling guilty for something I didn't do and feeling like crap and being treated like crap for that matter. I don't care if we were engaged or if we have been together for five plus years. Our relationship is not working. It's not working, Logan. We both have our own faults, our own trust issues, and our own problems. It's unhealthy. And I can't think of any logical reason for us to still be together," Rory said with a heavy heart. _I did it, I finally cut the strings_, Rory thought. She sighed a heavy sigh of relief.

Logan stared at Rory for a minute of awkward silence before Rory left the room, heading for the bedroom. Logan finished the rest of his mixed drink while Rory packed clothes to last her for a couple of days. She came back into the living room to grab a couple of books and other items that she was working on for an upcoming article. She then headed to the door and Logan spoke up to get the last word in, "You walk out the door Rory and you can't come back. You don't get any second chances. You can't come crawling back Rory! It'll be over for good!"

Rory smiled back at him. "Neither do you," she replied with confidence. "Don't worry. I'm done! I'll be back tomorrow to get the rest of my things and after that you won't see me _ever_ again." Rory opened the door and headed to her car with a new confidence and optimism.


	12. I Broke Up With You

**A/N:** I hope everyone had a happy holiday. Stats went down last chapter which is crazy since I think these are some of the best chapters for the whole fic. But many thanks to those who read and reviewed. I was very inspired to write today for another story but I have somehow channeled that inspiration into this chapter. It's not the best but I have such high standards for myself. I'm my own worst critic. But enough rambling. So, I hope you enjoy it and please review!!

* * *

Jess followed Shauna into her room at the Dragonfly. It had been a long ride back to Stars Hollow from the Gilmore's house in Hartford. The ride had been entirely too long for Jess and filled with an awkward silence. Shauna did not say a word to Jess and Jess didn't volunteer to say anything. He was still angry at Logan and the way he treated Rory. He was even more upset at the fact that Rory left to be with Logan, yet again. "Wow, what an eventful night," Shauna said finally breaking the awkward silence while changing into her pajamas in front of Jess.

"Yea," he replied softly.

"Logan was such an arrogant asshole! I mean that was so disrespectful the way he picked a fight with you. He ruined the entire night and messed up your uncle's night." Jess didn't say anything in return. He just stared at Shauna in disbelief. He expected her to be upset with him but instead, she was defending him. "And Rory…don't even get me started on her."

"What? What about her?" Jess asked raising his voice becoming irritated towards Shauna.

"Well, she basically started all of this. If she wasn't such a slut…"

"Don't! Don't talk about her like that."

"Well, it's true! I mean, she did sleep with you only moments after she broke up with Logan. And she's been hanging all over you like a puppy dog instead of spending time with him after she took him back. If that's not slutty, then I don't know what is."

"Just…don't," Jess replied. "Don't talk about her like that. You don't know the half of it. It's none of your business. So, just stay out of it."

"If it involves _my_ boyfriend, then yes it does involve me," Shauna retorted angrily. She couldn't believe Jess was taking Rory's side instead of hers. Jess just glared at her some more and stormed into the bathroom slamming the door behind him. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways. I don't expect her to be hanging around us anymore anyways," Shauna continued louder so Jess could her through the bathroom door.

A few seconds later the bathroom door slammed open and Jess stormed out. "What did you do Shauna? What did you say to her?"

"Nothing. I just explained to her that you were with _me_ now and that she was just a rebound after we broke up. I told her you just felt sorry for her and for her to leave us alone."

"Shauna!"

"What?" Shauna asked interrupting Jess' rant. "It's true. You rebounded after we broke up and had a one night stand. Then, you were forced to be nice to her after you found out that she was your uncle's soon-to-be step-daughter. Everything said tonight was just lies said to break us up. It's not going to work. I accept what happen and forgive you. I love you."

"No, Shauna. No, that's not true. That's not what happened."

"Excuse me?" Shauna replied confusedly.

"_I_ broke up with you. I was not on the rebound. And I did not feel sorry for Rory. I fell for Rory. Everything said tonight was the truth."

Shauna looked at Jess. She was upset and angry. But she swallowed the anger and her pride. She loved Jess and desperately wanted to be with him. "Fine. What's in the past is in the past. We're together now and that's all that matters."

"No, Shauna. It's not in the past," Jess replied irritated that Shauna didn't understand.

"I don't understand Jess! She went home to be with Logan! She doesn't want you. If she did, she would be with you, not him. Why do you want her when you can have me anyways?"

"You wouldn't understand. She understands me. She likes the same music, movies, food. I can talk to her for hours about nothing. It's her smile, her eyes, her laugh, her love for coffee, junk food, and cheesy movies. It's everything. And it doesn't' matter if she doesn't want to be with me. It won't change the way I feel about her or you. I don't want to be with you Shauna. I broke up with you months ago. And I don't know why I took you back. But I do know why I broke up with you," Jess said sighing heavily. He grabbed his jacket and the other few things he had left in her room. Once they were all gathered, he headed towards the door.

"If you leave Jess, you can't come back."

"_I_ didn't come back Shauna, _you_ did. _I_ broke up with you. And _I'm_ breaking up with you now," Jess replied angrily. Jess then slammed the door on his way out and headed to Luke's diner.


	13. Apologies

**A/N:** Another update!! Yay!! Thanks for all the reviews!! You guys are amazing. So, it may be a while before I update again because a new semster has started but we'll see. Hopefully, I will update soon because there are only two more chapters left. I'm a little sad to see it ending because it's my favorite fic at the moment but all good things must come to an end. But not yet!! So enjoy the next chapter and reviews are always welcome!!

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai sat at the counter in the diner, listening intently to Rory's story. Lorelai took a sip of her coffee trying to process the story Rory was telling her. She placed the mug on the counter top and questioned Rory, "So, you broke up with Logan?"

"Yes!"

"For good this time?"

"Yes mom. It is completely and utterly over. I'm done with Logan. I don't want to ever speak to him again or see him or even think about him! I don't know what kind of spell he had on me to keep me there so long. I mean…he cheated on me and treated me like crap! I'm just glad it's definitely over!"

"Aw, my little girl is growing up," Lorelai replied smiling. "So, did you need a place to stay?"

"Oh, no…I'm staying at Lane's."

"What? You know you're always welcome at home."

"I know but I don't want to impose. I stayed entirely too long while everything was unfolding between Logan and I. You and Luke are getting married! You need time to yourself and I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. Besides, you already have another guest at your house that I would prefer not to be around."

"Jess…" Lorelai stated disbelievingly. She watched Rory and Jess over the past few weeks: how much they had in common and completed each other. She saw how much Rory liked him and how much he liked her. Now, she watched as Rory was throwing her chance to be with away. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Yes Jess. After us fighting and Logan and Jess fighting and Shauna and I fighting, I would prefer to stay away from him. I don't want there to be any awkwardness."

Lorelai heard the doorbell chime, indicating a customer had just walked into the diner. Lorelai looked to see who it was. "Speaking of awkwardness, it just walked in."

"What?" Rory asked confused. She glanced towards the diner's door and saw Jess had just walked in. He walked to the counter and sat down beside Rory, who instantly looked away to avoid eye contact.

"Hi Jess," Lorelai said.

"Hey," he replied.

Lorelai could feel the tension between the two of them and could tell that Jess had something he wanted to say to Rory. She decided it would be best to leave the two of them alone. "Well, I love a lot to do at the Inn today so I'm going to go," Lorelai stated hopping off her stool. She bent down and kissed Rory on the cheek. "Bye sweets!"

Rory glared at her mom but chose to be somewhat civil and eventually said, "Bye mom." She sat the counter for a few minutes of awkward silence. She sighed heavily and debated leaving. "I think…." Rory said breaking the silence to tell Jess she was leaving.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry," Jess said interrupting her.

"You're sorry?" Rory questioned.

"For everything," Jess continued. "I'm sorry for ruining everything. I didn't know you were from Stars Hollow. So, I'm sorry for our past catching up to us. I'm sorry for being angry with you for leaving that morning. I'm sorry for screwing up your relationship with Logan. I knew you were with Logan but I still kissed you those times and went after you. I caused a fight between us and ruined your mom's and Luke's engagement party. I made myself look like an ass in front of your grandparents. I'm sorry for the way Shauna treated you. I'm sorry for the way things have ended up between us. We'll probably end up seeing a lot more of each other since Lorelai and Luke are getting married. And I screwed up every possibility of us being friends or more than friends or whatever. I'm just….sorry."

"You don't have to apologize Jess."

"Yes I do. I'm trying to make everything right in life."

"Yea but…it's not all your fault. I'm sorry too. I was just as angry at you as you were at me. I helped ruin my relationship with Logan. I knew exactly what I was doing. And I kissed you back and spent all of time with you. I'm sorry for being such a tease to you. And you did not start that fight. It was entirely Logan's fault. And I apologize for his actions. He made all of us look like an ass. And you don't have to apologize for Shauna. It was completely justified for her to act the way she did. I probably would have too if I was in her situation. I ruined your relationship with her. And I did the same amount of damage towards our friendship or…whatever as you did. So, you don't have to apologize," Rory responded very rapidly.

Jess smirked at her. He was glad that she was ok with everything. Since he broke up with Shauna, he wanted to patch up things with Rory. Even if he couldn't be with her, he at least wanted to be friends with her. He didn't know why she wanted to be with Logan but if that was what she truly wanted, he wanted her be happy. And be in her life in some type of way, so friends it was. "Want to start over?"

Rory smiled at the thought. She wanted to be friends with him. She knew she blew any chance she had with him and he was with Shauna now. So, friends it was. "I'd like that. So, what now?"

"I'm actually leaving for Philadelphia tomorrow."

"Oh," Rory said with a hint of sadness and disappointment in her voice. Things were fixed between them. They were being civil towards each other and decided to be friends again just when he was leaving.

"Yea, I think I have all the inspiration I need to write my next novel. Besides, my bookstore is probably looking very shabby. Chris can't run it like me. I need to tend to it."

Rory chuckled a little. "I understand. Chris doesn't seem that reliable."

"He's not," Jess agreed. "Any new articles coming up?"

"A few. They're not that great though. I guess I need inspiration too."

"What about you and Logan. Are yall going finally set a date and make it official?" Jess asked. He regretted asking because he really didn't want to know the answer but he wanted to show her that there was no hard feelings.

"Um…no…we actually broke up last night. _I_ broke up with him. We are officially over."

Jess stared at her speechless. His heart leapt in his chest. Optimism and hope filled his thoughts. He still had a chance. He still had a chance to win the girl of his dreams. _Tell her! Tell her you idiot, Jess told himself. Tell her you love her. That you broke up with Shauna last night to be with her. Tell her!_ "Oh, I'm sorry," was he managed to say.

"Yea…well…it's no big deal," Rory said glancing down at her watch. She noticed the time and jumped off her stool in a hurry. "Damn it! I'm late. I'm going to be so late!" Rory yelled frantically. "Look, I have to go. I'm sorry but I'm late."

"Where are you going?" Jess asked confused. He was missing his chance….again.

"Lane's. I'm so sorry to run out but I'm late. I guess I'll see you later. At the wedding probably. Um, have a good trip tomorrow," Rory said as he frantically ran around the diner. She went to Jess and gave him a hug and lightly kissed him on the cheek. "Bye," Rory stated as she ran out of the diner and sped off in her car, leaving tire tracks.

Jess didn't move. He only stared out the window as the girl of his dreams slipped out of his fingers once again. He stayed in his trance for several minutes before something, some thought or noise or person in the diner woke him. "Luke!" Jess yelled as he went searching for Luke in the back of the diner. "I need directions to Lane's!" He was going to get the girl of his dreams. He loved Rory Gilmore and wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.


	14. Chasing Dreams

**A/N:** I'm so so sorry I have neglected this story for as long as I have. School has been hectic and I have finals coming up. But then I will be home for the summer so I promise that I will update sooner, even though I only have one more chapter planned for this story. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews last chapter. You guys are awesome!! So, I pictured this chapter before I was even halfway through the fic and I saw as several scenes of a movie so I tried to indicate the tension and suspense in my writing as it would be viewed if it was a movie. Hope you enjoy it and comments are welcomed!!

* * *

Rory opened the door to Lane's house frantically. _I'm late, so late. Lane's going to so mad at me_, Rory thought as she closed the door behind her. But no matter how late she was or how angry Lane was, it would all be worth it. She finally fixed things with Jess, well sort of. A part of her, a big part actually, still wanted to be with him, to make things work, but she new she didn't have a chance now. But their differences were finally settled and she could at least be friends with him. He would at least be a part of her life.

"Rory! Where have you been?" Lane yelled at Rory as soon as she closed the door. "We are going to be late!"

"I know…I'm sorry Lane."

Lane scowled at Rory for almost ruining her plans. She shoved a suitcase in Rory's hands and grabbed her purse. "Zach, we're going!" Lane yelled to him as she practically shoved Rory out of the door.

* * *

Jess practically sprinted out of the diner to his car. He sped out of the parking lot, spinning tires as he went. He broke nearly every speed limit law on his way to Lane's house. He remembered Rory saying she was extremely late and wanted to catch her while he could. He wasn't going to let her slip through his hands anymore. In a matter of a few minutes, Jess was at Lane's house. He quickly parked the car and sprinted to Lane's door.

Jess knocked on the door repeatedly until someone finally answered. "Yea?" Brian asked as he opened the door.

Jess looked at him, filled with confusion. He thought he had the wrong house because he had briefly met Lane and Zach before and the guy standing at the door was neither. "Is this Lane's house?" Jess asked unsure of himself.

"Yea," Brian answered, who was just as confused as Jess.

"Is Rory here?"

"No, you just missed her."

"Where did she go?" Jess asked anxiously. He had to find her.

"The airport."

"The airport? Thanks," Jess said as he sprinted back to his car. He was back in his car in no time, speeding off to the airport.

* * *

Rory sat on a bench in the middle of the airport replaying the morning's events. She sighed heavily. She was full of mixed emotions: happy they were friends again but upset she wasn't with him. _Why couldn't I be brave enough to tell him how I feel? I love you…it's three simple words_, Rory told herself. She shook the thoughts out of her head_. Because that would have started more drama_. Just be happy he's in your life as a friend, Rory reminded herself. She glanced over at Lane and Zach who were holding hands and happily married. It made Rory a little sad. She sat there in silence starring at the floor for several minutes before her thoughts were interrupted.

"Rory!" Lane yelled over the crowd. Rory sighed heavily again. The things she put up with for her friends. Rory picked up the suitcase at her feet and stood up from her bench. She took two steps towards Lane before she was interrupted again.

"Rory!" someone other than Lane yelled across the airport. Rory turned around to see where her name was coming from and was pleasantly surprised to see it was Jess.

"Jess?" Rory asked a little confused. What was he doing here in the airport?

"Don't go!" Jess asked as he was finally able to stop running, take a break, and catch his breath. He had made it to the airport in half the time it usually takes someone to get to the airport from Stars Hollow but he had been frantically searching for Rory throughout the airport. He was afraid he had missed her again and his chance to get the girl but he finally found her. He was surprisingly more of out of shape than he thought.

"What?" Rory asked disbelieving.

"Rory, ever since you left the diner this morning, I have been looking for you. I went to Lane's and you weren't there and I came here and ran all over this airport trying to find you. I love you Rory Gilmore. So, whatever you're doing, wherever you're going…don't. Stay here. Be with me."

Rory stared at Jess silently while her stomach did flips. He loved her. Was it possible for her dreams to come true? "What about Shauna?" She asked still believing that she was dreaming.

"Shauna? We're over. Actually, we never began. My heart didn't belong to her; it belongs to someone else. No one will ever compare to you Rory. I love your personality, your attitude, your crazy, wacky family, your love for books, movies, music…I could write a whole book about my love for you. And Rory I truly love you. Before I met you, I didn't believe in love or soul mates or anything like that. But now I do. You changed me Rory. And now I believe. And I love you with all my heart and know that we are meant to be together. All I'm asking is for one chance because I know somewhere inside of you, you believe too."

Rory opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him too. And that she believed with all of her heart too. But as soon as she opened her mouth, no words spilled out. Instead, her attempt to speak and all of her thoughts were interrupted by others.

"This is the final boarding call for Flight 60," the announcer yelled over the intercom.

"Rory! Rory!" Lane yelled as loud as she could to Rory.

Rory took one glance at Lane and then another at Jess. She hated how their moment was being interrupted but it had to be done. She darted through the crowd of people as frantically rushed over Lane. She had obviously missed the previous boarding calls and now they were truly late.

Jess stared after her as she disappeared through the crowd. Jess' heart sank. He told her he loved her and she rejected him. He stared at the tiled floor trying to distract himself from the numerous thoughts in his head. His concentration on the floor was interrupted when he was nearly tackled to the floor. Rory threw her arms around his neck and pulled Jess as close to her as she could and kissed him as passionately as she had ever kissed anyone. Jess was taken off guard but he instantly wrapped his arms around Rory's waist and followed her lead.

After several long seconds, Rory finally pulled away but was stil. "What? You didn't think I was actually leaving, did you?" She asked Jess as she analyzed his pleasantly surprised face. "It was the final boarding call for Lane's plane so I had to take her luggage. I didn't want them to miss out on their second honeymoon."

"Lane's luggage? Second honeymoon?" Jess repeated. It took him a minute for the words to register. "You were never planning on leaving?"

"No," Rory replied smiling. "I promised Lane that I would drive her and Zach to the airport. But even if I had been planning a trip, how could I ever turn down a speech like that. I love you too much to do that."

Jess smirked at Rory's remark and lightly kissed her again. They were finally able to be together without having to worry about other people, distractions, complications, and any other worries. He finally had the girl and she finally had the boy.


	15. Destiny

**A/N:** So all good things must come to an end. It's the last chapter of Destiny…tear. I want to thank all of yall who have read, reviewed, etc. You guys keep me writing. I hope you have enjoyed reading this fic as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It has been my favorite fanfic. I have tried to wrap things up in this chapter while leaving enough room for your own interpretation. I doubt there will be a sequel but if I do decide to write a sequel I'll let ya know. If you enjoy my writing, I highly suggest Through The Years, another lit, and Saving Mary, my first Trory. Other than that, thank you so much for everything and please review with your final thoughts.

* * *

Rory made circles around the Stars Hollow gazebo, weaving around the many guests, looking for her mother. How could Lorelai disappear at her own wedding reception? Rory slightly pushed her second cousin to the side and exclaimed triumphantly when she spotted Lorelai by the cake. Rory smiled when she noticed Lorelai dipping her finger in the icing and licking it off.

"Ah ha! I saw that!" Rory yelled as she surprised Lorelai.

"Saw what? You must be confused child."

"Dipping your fingers in the icing again. What will I do with you? I can't even take you to your own wedding."

"What? I have a low blood sugar."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I'm getting weaker every second. I think I'm going to faint," Lorelai replied dramatically.

"Mom!"

"Ok, you caught me. I couldn't resist." Lorelai grinned as she dipped another finger once again.

Rory giggled at her mom. "So, you and Luke are _finally_ married! How does it feel?"

"Like magic," Lorelai answered with a smile on her face. "How about you? How does it feel to _finally_ be with Jess?"

Rory stole a sideways glance at Jess who was talking with Luke. She smile as she answered. "Amazing. I didn't know true love could be this wonderful."

"I'm happy for you kiddo. So, you're leaving for Philly tomorrow?"

"Yes," Rory replied excitedly. After Rory and Jess got together at the airport, she convinced him to stay in Stars Hollow for the past five months. Rory wanted to stay around to help her mom plan the wedding. Jess relunctantly agreed. He realized Rory was more important to him and he could right his book anywhere. He didn't have to be at his bookstore in Philadelphia to do that. So, he gave in. And they had been staying in Stars Hollow for the past five months and were returning to Philadelphia tomorrow.

"And yall are leaving for Niagara Falls tomorrow?"

"Yes," Lorelai replied in the same excited tone as Rory.

"Call me when you get there," Lorelai and Rory said in unison as they hugged each other.

* * *

Luke and Jess smiled as they watched their two favorite girls hugging each other. "Congratulations uncle Luke," Jess said breaking their silence.

"Thanks. You too by the way. You and Rory huh?"

"Yea."

"Huh. I would have never guessed that."

"Me either but I love her."

"I would have never guessed that either."

Jess smirked. "Me either actually. I plan on asking her to marry me."

"So soon? You have only been together for a few months," Luke replied skeptical.

"I know but I love her Uncle Luke. She's my soulmate, my destiny."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I hate writers," he said sarcastically. "Books, and greeting cards, and all that stuff," Luke said jokingly. But he knew Jess was right because it was exactly how he felt about Lorelai. "Go dance with her."

Jess smirked at Luke but took his advice. He asked Rory to dance with him and she did for the rest of the night.

* * *

Jess pulled up to the Truncheon Bookstore. He promised that he would find another, bigger apartment for him and Rory to live in but this had to do until he could find one. Rory hopped out of the car and marveled at the sights. The bookstore was in a perfect neighborhood with small shops and apartments. It was very charming, the kind Rory dreamt of living in if she couldn't be near Stars Hollow her whole life. Jess grabbed Rory's hand and led her inside the bookstore.

"I have a surprise for you," Jess said as he was unlocking the door of the bookstore.

"Really?" Rory replied suddenly interested. She looked at her surroundings inside the bookstore. She noticed all of her favorites on bookshelves, as well several she had never heard of. She noticed the poetry corner, the artwork on the walls, the color scheme. Rory took it all in. The first time she had been here, she was too drunk and occupied to notice anything about the bookstore. Rory instantly fell in love with bookstore after only being in it for a few seconds. It was exactly the place she could see herself spending hours upon hours in.

"This is for you," Jess as he toted something to Rory.

"_Destiny_?" Rory repeated after reading the book's title. "A true love account. How to love and how to find the love of your life," Rory read. She looked up at Jess and continued to read, "By Jess Mariano. It's your book," Rory continued surprised. For the past five months, Jess had been working on his next book but he hadn't let Rory or anyone else for that matter read it. It was supposed to be a surprise and surely surprised Rory.

"Open it up," Jess direct Rory.

Rory smiled and opened the book to the first page, the dedication page. "For Rory, the love of my life," Rory read smiling. "You wrote a book for me. Jess!"

Jess shook the comment off. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by Rory's lips. Rory kissed Jess hard and passionately and Jess gladly accepted the kiss. Jess eventually broke the kiss off. "You know, this is a dangerous city and you don't know very much about it."

"Well, what are we going to do about that?" Rory questioned playing along as she wove her fingers through his hair.

"Well, I think I better take you someplace that's safe and familiar to you."

"And where might that be?" Rory asked laughing at Jess.

"My bedroom," Jess said as he picked Rory up in his arms. Rory wrapped her arms tightly around Jess' neck as he led her up to his apartment. It was where their relationship began, where they got into the mess that led them to each other in Stars Hollow. It was destiny for history to repeat itself that night. It was destiny for their new relationship in Philadelphia to begin there. It was destiny for them to be together.

* * *

**The End**


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